Green Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus purpureus
Woodland. Deep iridescent blue; head green and blue; curved red bill; long tail.
Wood Hoopoes
LC
Not Endemic
Description
Common resident. Larger than [Common Scimitarbill] and with red (not black) bill and feet. Immature has a black bill, less decurved than that of [Common Scimitarbill]. The call is a high-pitched cackle started by one and taken up by others to produce a hysterical cackling similar to but less mechanical-sounding than the babblers. Occurs in parties of three to eight in woodland or well-wooded suburbia. Parties fly from tree to tree in straggling procession, settling low down and working their way upwards.
Quick Facts
Size
30-36 cm - M
Names
A: Rooibekkakelaar
Z: iNhlekabafazi
Ss: Pekadifate E Tala
G: Steppenbaumhopf
Bird Family
Glossy, dark blue-green birds with long graduated tails, long decurved bills and short legs. They clamber about on tree trunks and branches, probing with their bills in search of insects. They also investigate weaver and sparrow nests and may throw out eggs or small chicks while doing so. They nest in tree cavities. Flight patterns are diagnostic.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
