Common Hoopoe
Only my second shot of this fascinating but commonly found bird. Notable for its distinctive crown of feathers and a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. The call is typically a trisyllabic oop-oop-oop, which gives rise to its English and scientific names. The Hoopoe has two basic requirements in its habitat; bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities (such as trees, cliffs or even walls, nestboxes, haystacks, and abandoned burrows) in which to nest. These requirements can be provided in a wide range of ecosystems and as a consequence they inhabit a wide range of habitats from heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as well as glades inside forests.
Common Hoopoe
Only my second shot of this fascinating but commonly found bird. Notable for its distinctive crown of feathers and a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. The call is typically a trisyllabic oop-oop-oop, which gives rise to its English and scientific names. The Hoopoe has two basic requirements in its habitat; bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities (such as trees, cliffs or even walls, nestboxes, haystacks, and abandoned burrows) in which to nest. These requirements can be provided in a wide range of ecosystems and as a consequence they inhabit a wide range of habitats from heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as well as glades inside forests.