Violet Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus damarensis
Namibian woodland. Dark violet-blue and black plumage; black bill and legs.
LC
Locally Rare
Description
Fairly common, localised resident. Larger than [Green Wood Hoopoe] and more violet-blue, even blackish, about the head and mantle. Similar in all other respects to (Green Wood Hoopoe (Red-billed Wood Hoopoe)). May interbreed with Grant’s Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus granti; sometimes considered a subspecies of P. damarensis) in northern Namibia.
Quick Facts
Size
40-42 cm - M
Names
A: Perskakelaar
Ss: Pekadifate E Perese
G: Damarabaumhopf
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
