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African Hoopoe | Upupa africana
The African Hoopoe is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Upupidae bird family group which includes birds such as Hoopoes. The description for the African Hoopoe (Latin name Upupa africana) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Upupa africana can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 451 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 160. You will find a picture of the African Hoopoe on page 161. NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any. This bird is known as Hoopoe in the Roberts 6th Edition. The Latin name for this bird is Upupa epops in the Roberts 6th Edition. The African Hoopoe is known in Afrikaans as Hoephoep. The African Hoopoe has a height of 26 cms and weighs around 57 gms. The head is coloured cinnamon while the bill is coloured black. The Upupa africana has a cinnamon coloured throat, grey legs and a cinnamon coloured back. The eyes are brown. The male Upupa africana has physical features that are slightly different from the female bird. Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts. Head is cinnamon Eyes are brown Bill is black Legs are grey Throat is cinnamon Back is cinnamon Feeding Habits ...This bird forages for food on the ground This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten . Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...The African Hoopoe is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 4 to 7 eggs and they are coloured blue. The bird builds its nest within a tree cavity just a few meters above the ground. The hole in the tree is normally reused in the next nesting season. The African Hoopoe is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees. The bird is mainly found in the Savanna grasslands where it breeds and feeds. Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...The African Hoopoe is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild. |
