Photo: hyper7pro from Secunda, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus purpureus
Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) — Hornbills & Hoopoes of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) is a member of the Phoeniculidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 73.2 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 purpureus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 73.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Phoeniculidae
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green Wood Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green Wood Hoopoe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) is a species of bird in the Phoeniculidae family, part of the order Bucerotiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 73.2 g, with a wing length of about 13.9 cm and a tail of around 18.9 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 12.3 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green Wood Hoopoe?
The Green Wood Hoopoe is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 73.2 g.
Where does the Green Wood Hoopoe live?
The Green Wood Hoopoe is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Green Wood Hoopoe belong to?
The Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) belongs to the Phoeniculidae family, in the order Bucerotiformes.
What does the Green Wood Hoopoe eat?
The Green Wood Hoopoe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green Wood Hoopoe migrate?
The Green Wood Hoopoe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green 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 Green Wood Hoopoe make?
1 real field recording of the Green Wood Hoopoe — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green Wood Hoopoe's range?
The Green Wood Hoopoe has a mapped global range of about 12.3 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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