buff-colored below; black-and-white above (South Africa; 2007-06-30)


African Hoopoe
Upupa africana

Native Range: Africa

Notes: hoopoes are unmistakable birds in their combination of plumage coloration, long decurved bill, and pronounced crest feathers; only three species exist in the family (Upopidae), confined respectively to Eurasia, Africa, and Madagascar; little sexual dimorphism.


dorsal view; the barring on wings is very bold (South Africa; 2007-06-30)

long decurved bill; the large crest can be raised (South Africa; 2007-06-30)