Photo: Herbert Goodchild / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-billed Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus somaliensis
Black-billed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) — Hornbills & Hoopoes of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) is a member of the Phoeniculidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 26.5 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 Phoeniculidae Wood Hoopoes
- Genus Phoeniculus
- Species somaliensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 26.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Phoeniculidae
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) belongs to the Phoeniculidae family of the order Bucerotiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 26.5 g, with a wing length of about 14.5 cm and a tail of around 21.2 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 1.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is a small bird that weighs around 26.5 g.
Where does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe live?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe belong to?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) belongs to the Phoeniculidae family, in the order Bucerotiformes.
What does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe eat?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe migrate?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-billed Wood 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 Black-billed Wood Hoopoe make?
1 real field recording of the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe's range?
The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe has a mapped global range of about 1.1 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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