Thursday, July 21, 2022

Eurasian Hoopoe

The Eurasian hoopoe is an incredibly cool bird, one I'd hoped to see in Portugal. It is a version of potato head, put together with random pieces: it has funky thick black and white striped wings which really stand out against its tan neck, breast and head; followed by a dark eye; a long, slightly curved bill; and a shiny tan/orange American Indian headdress of feathers with dark black tips. When the headdress is not arrayed in its full splendor, it is pulled back into a point like the African hamerkop.  


It has nine subspecies and is found across much of Europe, Asia and Africa. We saw a couple of  them south of Lisbon beyond the southeastern end of the Vasco de Gama Bridge of the Tagus River Estuary. I hope to find it again, get better views, including a view of the head with the feathers in full array, and spend more in-depth time on it. For now I'll leave it at this. 

1 comment:

  1. I love your comparison of the hoopoe to Mr. Potato Head. I have to admit that seeing this bird through binoculars was really a highlight. What a crazy bird.

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