Hoopoes

The Hoopoe family includes medium-sized birds that are easy to recognise because of their striking black and white striped wings, long curved bills, and crests on their heads with black tips. These birds feed on the ground, searching soft soil and leaf litter for insects like beetles, crickets, and larvae. They often move in a stop-start way while looking for food. They live across Europe, Asia, and Africa, preferring warm, open areas with some trees, such as farmland, orchards, and Mediterranean scrubland. They make their nests in natural holes found in trees, walls, or cliffs. In Britain, hoopoes are rare spring visitors, mostly seen along the southern coasts. Sometimes, they try to breed during warm years. Their unique flying style, which moves up and down, and their loud 'hoop-hoop-hoop' call make them easy to recognise when you see or hear them.