Common Hoopoe

Latin Name: 
Upupa epops
Category: 
Size: 
31cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Fawn-coloured plumage; black and white markings on wings, back and tail; black and white-tipped crest; longish, gently curved beak. Solitary or in scattered pairs; small, loose flocks in winter; probes ground with long beak, sometimes feeding along with other birds; flits among tree branches; crest often fanned open; becomes rather aggressive with onset of breeding season.

Habitat: 
meadows, open country, garden lawns, open light forests.
Food: 
insects caught on ground or pulled from underground.
Distribution: 
subcontinent, up to about 5,500m in Himalaya; several races; spreads considerably in winter.
Call: 
Call Description: 
pleasant, mellow hoo…po… po…, sometimes only first two notes; calls have a slightly ventriloquistic quality; calls frequently when breeding.