Common Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderBucerotiformes (Hornbills and Hoopoes)
- FamilyUpupidae (Hoopoes)
- GenusUpupa (Hoopoes)
- SpeciesUpupa epops (Common Hoopoe)
About the Common Hoopoe
The Eurasian hoopoe or common hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of hoopoe. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop".
The Eurasian hoopoe is native to Europe, Asia and Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. Some ornithologists consider the Madagascar hoopoe (U. marginata) as a subspecies. The African hoopoe, subspecies U. e. africana, has sometimes been treated as a separate species.
The Eurasian hoopoe was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He cited the earlier descriptions by the French naturalist Pierre Belon and by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner, both of which had been published in 1555. Linnaeus placed the Eurasian hoopoe with the northern bald ibis and the red-billed chough in the genus Upupa and coined the binomial name Upupa epops. The specific epithet epops in the Ancient Greek word for a hoopoe.
Eight subspecies are recognised. The subspecies vary in size and the depth... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Common Hoopoe in Nairobi National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nairobi National Park
African Hoopoe
Upupa africana
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Violet Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus damarensis
Green Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus purpureus
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus minor
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Tockus deckeni
Common Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Bycanistes brevis
Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Hoopoe in Nairobi National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hoopoe sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 285 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Hoopoe in Nairobi National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Common Hoopoe in Nairobi National Park in our monthly data.