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The
Hoopoe is known in France as the huppe, and in Latin the Upupa, these
names having apparently been given to this interesting bird from
its cry. The hoopoe has been long celebrated in literature, and is
renowned by its variegated plumage and its large erectile crest
(From which is derived the secondary meaning of the French word huppe - a crest
or tuft). The Upupa epops,
which is the species generally referred to by the name hoopoe, is part
of the very peculiar Family Upupidae.
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Hoopoes on the Ground
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Habitat and Range of
the Hoopoe
This
species has a very wide range in the Old WorId, being a regular
summer visitor to the whole of Europe, in some parts of which it is abundant,
as well as to Siberia. In Autumn it usually retires southwards to winter in
equatorial Africa and India, although it would appears to be resident throughout
the year in China and North-Eastern Africa. The bird seems to like a habitat where there is open ground, spending a lot of its time on the ground itself. Its power of wing generally seems to be feeble; but it is capable of considerable extended flight, as is testified
by its wandering habits, the hoopoe occasionally appearing in places
very far removed from its usual haunts. Its flying abilities are also demonstrated by the fact that when
pursued by a Falcon it will quickly rise to an extreme height and often
effect its escape from the enemy.
The
Hoopoe makes its appearance in some part or other of the UK each year,
most often in spring, although very few instances of the hoopoe breeding
in England are recorded. Eight or nine so-called species of the genus have
been described. As well as the Upupa epops , the
most well-known are Upupa indica, resident in India and Ceylon;
Upupa longirostris, which seems to be the form of the Indo-Chinese
countries; Upupa marginata, peculiar to Madagascar; and Upupa
africana
or
minor, which inhabits South Africa to the Zambesi
on the east and Benguela on the west coast. In habits and appearance they
all resemble the Upupa epops, with only minor differences.
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