Violet Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus damarensis
Silhouette: Jon Hill (Photo by DickDaniels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Woodhoopoe_RWD7.jpg) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderBucerotiformes (Hornbills and Hoopoes)
- FamilyPhoeniculidae (Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills)
- GenusPhoeniculus (Woodhoopoes)
- SpeciesPhoeniculus damarensis (Violet Wood Hoopoe)
About the Violet Wood Hoopoe
The violet wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus damarensis) is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is found in Angola, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. It looks similar to the black-billed wood hoopoe but with a red beak and a green throat. It has coppery and violet mantle feathers.
The violet wood hoopoe was formally described in 1901 by the Scottish ornithologist William Robert Ogilvie-Grant under the binomial name Irrisor damarensis. The specific epithet is from Damaraland in Namibia. The violet wood hoopoe is now one of five species placed in the genus Phoeniculus that was introduced in 1821 by the Polish zoologist Feliks Paweł Jarocki.
Two subspecies are recognised: P. d. damarensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1901) – Angola and Namibia P. d. granti (Neumann, 1903) – central, southeast Kenya The subspecies P. d. granti has sometimes been considered as a separate species as its distribution is separated by a very large distance from that of the nominate race.
The violet wood hoopoe was formerly considered to be conspecific with the green wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus). It has been argued that the violet wood hoopoe should be considered as a distinct species because of its... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Violet Wood Hoopoe in Meru National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Meru National Park
Grant's Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus granti
Green Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus purpureus
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus minor
Common Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Tockus deckeni
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tockus flavirostris
Crowned Hornbill
Lophoceros alboterminatus
Trumpeter Hornbill
Bycanistes bucinator
Common Hoopoe
Upupa epops
African Hoopoe
Upupa africana
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Violet Wood Hoopoe in Meru National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Wood Hoopoe sighting in Meru National Park, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet Wood Hoopoe in Meru National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Violet Wood Hoopoe in Meru National Park in our monthly data.