Listen:

Gallery:

Key information: The striking Hoopoe is so distinctive that it is hard to confuse it with any other bird. It is usually one of the very first birds arriving here in spring, even as early as February. It nests in holes in trees or stone walls, even in nest boxes. It is usually seen on the ground looking for food. It has a soft but very distinctive and repetitive song ‘oop-oop-oop’. When in flight, one can see its broad black and white wings. As it lands, it erects its crest.

Length: 25 – 29 cm

Habitat: Farmland, mountains and forests

When they can be seen: Autumn, spring, summer

What they eat: Invertebrates

In Cyprus: Can be seen in forested areas or areas with trees, mostly in the mountains

Status: Passage migrant, migrant breeder

Illustration by Paschalis Dougalis