Green Woodhoopoe

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.

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