Photo: Keta / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) — Hornbills & Hoopoes of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a member of the Upupidae family found in Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 66.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Bucerotiformes
- Family Upupidae Hoopoes
- Genus Upupa
- Species epops
Quick facts
- Weight
- 66.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Upupidae
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Common Hoopoe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a member of the Upupidae family, within the order Bucerotiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF, OR widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 66.9 g, with a wing length of about 14.2 cm and a tail of around 9.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 46.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Hoopoe?
The Common Hoopoe is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 66.9 g.
Where does the Common Hoopoe live?
The Common Hoopoe is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, AF, OR widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Common Hoopoe belong to?
The Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) belongs to the Upupidae family, in the order Bucerotiformes.
What does the Common Hoopoe eat?
The Common Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Hoopoe migrate?
The Common Hoopoe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Hoopoe endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Hoopoe make?
1 real field recording of the Common Hoopoe — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Hoopoe's range?
The Common Hoopoe has a mapped global range of about 46.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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