Order UPUPIFORMES | Family UPUPIDAE |
Upupa epops Linnaeus, 1758 Hoopoe Races:
Upupa epops loudoni Tschusi,1902
Hoopoe is 25–29 cm long, with a 44–48 cm wingspan. This black, white and pink bird is quite unmistakable, especially in its erratic flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly. The song is a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop", which gives rise to its English and scientific names.
Common breeding migrant. Inhabits flood plain and riparian forests with soil precipices and open low grass patches, shepherd houses and their remnants, villages and town environs, cemeteries, gardens, low mountains and foothills with stony gorges or clay ravines. Lives up to 1600 m on Altai and 1800-2000 m in Tien Shan. Arrives in end February – March singly or in small groups at southern areas, and in April at northern and in mountains. Breeds in separate pairs not close one to other. Nests in tree or precipice holes, any cavity of houses, sheep-folds, cemetery monuments, under bridges and so on. No lining used. Clutches of 5-12 eggs found in April – mid-June. Female incubates for 16-18 days and male feed her. Both parent rear juveniles, which fledge at 22-24 days old, in end of May – early August, and near two weeks they fed by parents. Probably two broods per season, repeated nesting after loss of first clutches is common. In late summer broods disperse, concentrations of two-three dozen birds occur at some places. Autumn migration in August mostly, some birds linger up to early October.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005 |
Distribution
Synonyms
Description
Biology
References