Eurasian Hoopoe

One of the most exotic and unmistakable birds in Europe. The Hoopoe is a salmon-pink bird with bold black-and-white 'zebra' striped wings and a spectacular crest that it can fan out into a crown. It is a summer visitor to Southern and Central Europe, favoring open landscapes with short grass and old trees or buildings for nesting. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa.

Hoopoes spend most of their time on the ground, using their long, curved bills to probe for large insects like mole crickets and beetle larvae. Their flight is erratic and 'floppy,' like a giant butterfly. Their song is a soft, rhythmic 'oop-oop-oop,' which gives the bird its name in many languages. They nest in tree cavities or holes in stone walls.