Fujairah Fauna: Eurasian Hoopoe
Hoopoes (/ˈhuːpuː/) are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive “crown” of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognised, though for many years all were lumped as a single species—Upupa epops.
The bird can be seen across the Emirate of Fujairah.
The Hoopoe is a very beautiful bird that is widespread in Europe, Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is notable for its distinctive ‘crown’ of feathers.
The Hoopoe is monogamous, although this means that the bond merely lasts for a single season. They are also territorial, with the male calling frequently to advertise his ownership of the territory. Birds will try to stab rivals with their bills, and individuals are occasionally blinded in fights.
Interesting fact:
Hoopoes appear in the Quran in Surah Al-Naml 27:20–22 in the following context:
“And he (Solomon) sought attendance among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization. But the hoopoe stayed not long and said, “I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.”
Species
Formerly considered a single species, the hoopoe has been split into three separate species: the Eurasian hoopoe, Madagascan hoopoe and the resident African hoopoe. One accepted separate species, the Saint Helena hoopoe, lived on the island of St Helena but became extinct in the 16th century, presumably due to introduced species.
The genus Upupa was created by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758. It then included three other species with long curved bills:
- U. eremita (now Geronticus eremita), the northern bald ibis
- U. pyrrhocorax (now Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), the red-billed chough
- U. paradisea
Formerly, the greater hoopoe-lark was also considered to be a member of this genus (as Upupa alaudipes).
