Eurasian hoopoe
후투티
The Eurasian hoopoe is the most widespread kind of hoopoe. It is a cinnamon-coloured bird with black-and-white wings, a tall crest that it can raise like a fan, a black tail crossed by a white band, and a long, thin bill that curves downwards.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Class
- Birds
- Lives in
- Israel and the Levant
- Diet
- Insect eater
- Weight
- about 0.065 kg
- Length
- about 0.28 m
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN LC)
- Habitat
- grasslands, savannas, forests
Quick answers
Where does the Eurasian hoopoe live?
It lives in grasslands, savannas, forests. On the globe you can find it near Israel and the Levant.
How big is the Eurasian hoopoe?
It grows to about 0.28 m and 0.065 kg.
What does the Eurasian hoopoe eat?
Its diet: insect eater.
Is the Eurasian hoopoe endangered?
It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).
A bird known for its fan-shaped crest and slender curved bill. It probes the ground for insects, and it is Israel’s national bird.
It lives in Europe, Asia and Africa, and the birds in the northern part of its range migrate for the winter. Its soft call sounds like oop-oop-oop, and the name probably imitates that sound. In 2008 it was chosen as Israel's national bird.
A bird that looks like a butterfly in flight
A hoopoe is a medium-sized bird, 25 to 32 centimetres long, with a wingspan of 44 to 48 centimetres and a weight of roughly 46 to 89 grams. Its broad, rounded wings give it strong flight, but it flaps in a rolling way, half-closing the wings at the end of each beat, so it flies up and down like a giant butterfly. Strong head muscles let it open its bill while it is pushed into the soil.
Food and family tree
Hoopoes walk on the ground and probe the soil with the bill to find insects, as the globe card also says. Carl Linnaeus described the species in 1758. Eight subspecies are recognised, which differ in size and in how deep their colours are. The African hoopoe is the most distinct one and has sometimes been treated as a separate species. Overall the species is of least concern.
Fun facts
- The hoopoe was chosen as Israel's national bird in 2008.
- Its undulating flight has been compared with a giant butterfly's.
- Its name imitates its call, oop-oop-oop.
On the globe
Look in Israel and the Levant, where this crested bird is the national bird; the card shows its fan crest and slender curved bill.
Quiz time
Which is heavier: Eurasian hoopoe or White stork?
Show the answer
White stork. (0.065 kg vs 3.4 kg) White stork →
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Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14