HOOPOE
This beautiful bird occasionally visited Lundy while I was there, but here on Kefalonia, it arrives in the Spring, from South of the Sahara, to breed. It is a distinctive cinnamon colour with black and white wings, a tall crest, and a broad white band across a black tail. It also has a long, narrow, downward curving bill. Hoopoes are 250 to 320mm long, with a 440 to 480mm wingspan. The crest is erect when landing and taking off, and their flight is undulating.
Hoopoes love bare or slightly vegetated ground on which to forage for insects. They are very fond of grasshoppers, caterpillars and moth pupae, but will also eat reptiles, frogs, seeds and berries. Whilst foraging, they will seek out shaded areas to be less conspicuous. Breeding pairs only last a season together after the males have indulged in brutal fights over the ladies. The nest is a hole in a wall or a tree, but they will also use nest boxes. Varying clutch sizes of eggs take 15 to 18 days to incubate with the male feeding the female during this time. Both parents feed the chicks. You do not want to stand beneath an occupied nest as the young can direct streams of faeces at intruders.
