Eisvogel vs Wiedehopf

Alcedo atthis verglichen mit Upupa epops

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Eisvogel Wiedehopf
Wissenschaftlicher Name Alcedo atthis Upupa epops
Ordnung Coraciiformes Bucerotiformes
Familie Alcedinidae Upupidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge 17,0 cm (6.7 in) 28,0 cm (11.0 in)
Flügelspannweite 25,0 cm (9.8 in) 46,0 cm (18.1 in)
Gewicht 36,0 g (1.27 oz) 62,0 g (2.19 oz)
Ernährung Small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. Hunts from a low perch over water, diving headfirst … Insects and larvae probed from the ground, especially beetle grubs, crickets, and caterpillars. Occasionally takes …
Gelegegröße 3-10 2-12
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Eisvogel 17,0 cm
Wiedehopf 28,0 cm
Flügelspannweite
Eisvogel 25,0 cm
Wiedehopf 46,0 cm
Gewicht
Eisvogel 36,0 g
Wiedehopf 62,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Eisvogel only

Wiedehopf only

Eisvogel

Clear, slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds with suitable perching and nesting banks. Requires clean water with good fish populations.

Wiedehopf

Open woodland, orchards, vineyards, parkland, and grassland with bare or sparsely vegetated ground for foraging.

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Song & Call Comparison

Eisvogel

Gesang

A sharp, penetrating 'chee' whistle given in flight, often the first indication of its presence. Short, shrill single note as it darts low over rivers. Contact call is a rippling …

Wiedehopf

Gesang

The eponymous call: a soft, far-carrying 'oop-oop-oop', repeated in triplets or quadruplets. Given from a hidden perch; mellow and flute-like. Contact call is a thin 'cherrr'.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Eisvogel

Widespread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter.

Wiedehopf

Europe, Asia, and Africa. Northern populations are migratory. A widespread species across the Old World.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Eisvogel

Least Concern

Wiedehopf

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How to Tell Them Apart

Eisvogel

Gefieder

Brilliant electric blue upperparts and orange underparts. Blue-green crown with darker barring. White throat patch and cheek spots. A flash of blue in flight.

Schnabel

Long, straight, dagger-like dark bill — orange base on the lower mandible in females

Wiedehopf

Gefieder

Pinkish-brown body with dramatically barred black and white wings and tail. Long, erectile, fan-shaped crest tipped with black. Undulating butterfly-like flight.

Schnabel

Long, thin, slightly decurved bill for probing soil

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About These Birds

Eisvogel

Der Eisvogel ist ein leuchtendes Juwel an Wasserläufen; sein schillernd blaues Gefieder entsteht durch Lichtbrechung in der Federstruktur und nicht durch Pigmente. Der Vogel diente in Japan als Vorbild für die Formgebung des Shinkansen-Hochgeschwindigkeitszugs – die Form seines Schnabels wurde übernommen, um Schallknalle beim Verlassen von Tunneln zu verringern.

Wiedehopf

Der Wiedehopf ist mit seinen auffällig zebragestreiften Flügeln und der extravaganten Federhaube einer der unverwechselbarsten Vögel der Alten Welt. Er ist der Nationalvogel Israels und spielt in der Mythologie von der ägyptischen Antike bis zum Koran eine bedeutende Rolle. Die Nester des Wiedehopfs sondern ein übel riechendes Sekret ab, das Fressfeinde abschreckt.

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