Eurasian Hoopoe

Characteristics

A migratory bird with a distinctive fan-shaped crest. The body is light brown and the head is more orange. The tip of the crest is black. It has black and light brown stripes from its back to its tail. The beak is long and slightly curved, making it suitable for searching for food in the ground.

Ecology

Inhabit grasslands and farmlands. It stands out in grasslands, but blends well into the background on dirt.

It preys on insects, spiders, earthworms, etc. on and under the ground. It pierces the ground with its elongated beak and deftly pulls out prey. It doesn't fly very fast. The striped pattern is conspicuous in flight.

Habitat

I photographed an individual that flew to the grassland in February. It roamed the ground and foraged. It plunges its prey into a hole about 1cm in diameter up to the base of its beak, throws it out, and then swallows it. It was interesting because of its unique behavior due to the length of its beak.

It spread its crown feathers only once. Until then, it had a slender silhouette and gave the impression of a herbivore, but it was graceful and beautiful with its crown feathers spread.