ANIMAL: Green Wood-Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus Type of Animal: Wood-Hoopoe Habitat: Savanna, woodland, forest, suburban gardens, palm groves, acacia thornveld, forest edge, thickets, valley bushveld Location(s): Most of sub-Saharan Africa except true desert Appearance: Metallic dark-green w/ purple back & long, purple tail. Adults have thin curvy red bill. Young have black bill. Male has longer bill than female. Food/Diet: Caterpillars, spiders, spider eggs, beetles, moths, termites, centipedes, millipedes, small lizards, fruit, grubs, insect larvae, ants Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & aviculture Lifestyle: Small family flocks of monogamous pair w/ 3-4 broods of offspring. Older chicks help rear younger siblings. Additional Info: Called: Male-Cock Female-Hen Young-Chick Group-Flock Weight: Male-3.68-4.16 oz Female-2.88 oz Gestation: 18 days Height: 1.1 ft Body Length: 1.1 ft Life Span: Up to 8 years Tail Length: 1.3 ft Main predators are genets, hawks, owls, snakes, chimps, felids, canids, pigs, & crocodiles. Driver ants & monkeys prey on nestlings. Considered one of the noisiest birds in Africa. Fights between neighboring families more often involve calls/displays rather than physical contact. Female generally lays 2-4 eggs per clutch. Also called a “Red-Billed Wood-Hoopoe.” Their nests are often parasitized by Honeyguides. Wood-hoopoes also face competition for nest sites w/ honeybees, hornbills, & other wood-hoopoes. Often nest in tree hollows. They’re closely related to bee-eaters, rollers, hornbills, & kingfishers. Feed on ground, termite mounds, or on tree trunks. Fun Fact(s): They’re somewhat popular in the bird trade & tend to be very inquisitive. Incubating females often let off bad smell in order to ward off predators. This often makes the whole nest stinky.
