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Animal profile

Eurasian Hoopoe

Upupa epops

AvesOpen ground with short vegetation and old trees or walls providing cavitiesLeast Concern

Field profile

The hoopoe is a pinkish-buff bird with barred black and white wings and a fan-shaped crest. It probes soil for insect larvae with a long decurved bill and nests in cavities. Its nest is notoriously foul-smelling during the breeding season.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-05-11

Eurasian Hoopoe

Hoopoes farm bacteria in their preen gland

During breeding, female and nestling hoopoes secrete a dark, strong-smelling preen oil carrying symbiotic bacteria. Those bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds that appear to protect eggs and feathers from spoilage organisms.

Read with evidence →

Eurasian Hoopoe | Daily Animal Facts