Hoopoe signs and beliefs of birds odud. Interpretation of folk signs about birds

Since ancient times, this outwardly remarkable bird has served as a source of inspiration for man, was the character of legends and tales of a number of peoples. She is capable of showing off exotic, catchy and flamboyant plumage.

Her impressive outfit stands out on the wings and below on the tail with white-yellow and black stripes. And the head is crowned with a feather headdress - a fan-shaped long crest, up to 10 cm in size, capable of opening and folding.

It is he who is considered the main distinguishing feature of this winged creature, the reason that in Islam such creatures were often associated with Tsar Solomon, and among some peoples of the North Caucasus they were considered sacred, the rulers of not only the feathered tribe, but also the animal kingdom. The name of this birds – hoopoe.

Such creatures of nature, belonging to the hoopoe family, to the order of hornbills, have a length of about 27 cm.The shade of the head and neck, as well as the color of the chest, varies, depending on the subspecies, from chestnut to pink, and can also be clay-red ...

The head of the hoopoe is crowned with a crest, by which it is easy to distinguish it from other birds

Abdomen reddish-pink laterally with blackish longitudinal stripes. An elongated, awl-shaped beak stands out on the head, thin and curved at the end downward. The wingspan of rounded wide wings is approximately 45 cm. The bird also has a medium length tail and gray-leaden legs with blunt claws.

Where dwells hoopoe? In the open spaces of hot blooming, where it has taken root almost everywhere. It is also found much further north in many countries. For example, in Russia, such birds take root in the North Caucasus and even in the lower reaches of rivers such as the Volga and Don, often catching the eye of people in vineyards and gardens.

Such birds live in the southern and middle regions of Eurasia, in the east of this continent, as well as in the Mediterranean, on the Japanese islands, in many other places and islands of the planet.

The hoopoe is a migratory bird or not? Solving this question, it is difficult to provide an unambiguous answer. It all depends on the latitude where such birds live. And in this regard, they may turn out to be migratory, nomadic, and in favorable regions - sedentary. For example, individuals that have taken root in Central Asia, in harsh times, prefer to migrate to the south of this vast continent.

From the territory of our country in winter, they often move to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Moreover, the timing of migration can vary and turn out to be very extended.

Kinds

In the hoopoe family, such birds are the only modern species. But the variety itself is divided into subspecies. The distinctive features of their representatives include: size, wing shape, feather color, and some others.

It is believed that some species of hoopoe have become extinct long ago.

Among the subspecies, the common hoopoe can be distinguished from the most interesting. This bird is amazing and rare, comparable in size to. Also, the last representative of the bird kingdom is similar to her in outward appearance, especially at such moments when the crest of the described bird is complex, and she herself moves on the ground with quick small steps, now and then actively bowing.

What does a hoopoe look like– bird of the described subspecies? By common features about the same as all of its relatives. Except for the black-and-white stripes on the wings and below on the tail, which adorn the appearance of all representatives of the species, the rest of the plumage of the common hoopoe is reddish-buffy.

There is an opportunity to meet such a bird on Russian territories in particular, although rarely, it can be observed in, also - in other vast areas of Eurasia and in northwest Africa.

A very interesting subspecies, although now extinct, is the giant hoopoe. These large birds, completely incapable of flying, according to scientists, about five centuries ago were found on the island of St. Helena. But human activities, in particular, the rats and cats brought by him to the island territory, contributed to their complete destruction.

In total, biologists describe about ten feats. hoopoe... American scientists, after analyzing their DNA, found that the ancestors of these creatures, in all likelihood, were predecessors, similar in biological characteristics to the feathered representatives of the order of rhino birds.

The latter received this name for the elongated, awl-shaped nose, which, as explained earlier, is also inherent in the hoopoe.

Lifestyle and habitat

Usually, such birds choose open landscapes for settlement, preferring to live on the plains, in extreme cases, in small groves or on hilly terrain overgrown with grasses and bushes.

There are especially many representatives of the described species in shrouds, forest-steppe zone and steppes - areas with an arid, warm climate. Hoopoes can be found in coastal dunes, green, flat areas, forest edges, meadows and ravines, in fruit and vine plantations.

Moving on solid ground, this bird behaves quite nimbly. And if he feels the approach of danger, he falls to the ground, spreading his wings, spreading his tail and raising his long beak, thus hiding.

The flight of this bird is very remarkable, it moves through the air, as if diving, then rushing up, then descending below. Voice of the hoopoe a little guttural and deaf. And the sounds he makes are similar to "ud-ud-ud", which turned out to be the reason for naming the described feathered creation of nature.

And only the Madagascar subspecies in vocalization is an exception, which becomes especially noticeable during the mating season. The sounds made by this bird are similar to a rolling purr.

Popular signs are associated with the hoopoe. Some say that such birds are harbingers of trouble and seeing such winged creatures is not a very good omen. Also, the hoopoe is considered an unclean creature.

This opinion is associated, it is believed, with some protective measures that these birds are taking to preserve the life and safety of their chicks. Rumor has it that, driving away predators from their offspring, these winged creatures often shoot droppings at the one encroaching on their nests, hitting directly in the face, eyes or nose.

Some signs associate the appearance of a hoopoe with misfortune

Scientists recognize only the fact that the described birds, like skunks, are endowed by nature with special glands that produce and secrete an unpleasant liquid with an unbearable odor. That is why there are few knowledgeable people who hunt after the hoopoe only to catch it and pick it up. After all, such negligence can end very unpleasantly.

However, nothing prevents you from admiring such a beautiful bird full of proud beauty. Although such birds do not like people, and when they see a person, they strive to fly away immediately. Therefore, it is best to admire the beautiful appearance of these creatures by looking hoopoe on the photo.

It should be noted that in spite of the legends that provide the feathered ill fame, other opinions exist and are quite common, as already mentioned. For example, among the Chechens and Ingush, even in the pre-Islamic period, this wonderful creation of nature personified the goddess of fertility, spring and childbirth named Tusholi.

Among these peoples, the nest of this bird in the courtyard of the house was considered a wonderful omen, and the killing of the sacred bird was by no means encouraged. Such are signs, hoopoe-related.

It should be remembered that these winged creatures are mentioned in the Bible and the no less famous Koran. And they often appear in the works of ancient famous classics. According to legend, King Solomon went to this particular bird with a message to the famous Queen of Sheba. And in response to this he received rich gifts from her.

Nutrition

Long, curved and thin beak, without which description of the hoopoe cannot be exhaustive and complete, it turns out to be a very useful tool for these birds in their search for food. After all, a bird, getting its own food, digs with it on bare soil not covered with greenery or in low-growing grass.

As a rule, small invertebrates become its prey. For example, an insect that loves to crawl in the soils of warm sunny plains, tearing the ground with its front limbs, may turn out to be a large victim of a feathered predator. Snatching such creatures from the depths of the soil and holding them in its beak, the hoopoe strikes the insect with all its might on the ground, stunning it.

Then he either eats or takes them to his chicks. The beak is also a tool that helps these birds, like - bird, like a hoopoe in this sense, to extract insects, pupae and larvae from the insides of old stumps and bark of trees with your long nose. The sting of bees and wasps is not afraid of the hoopoe, so these insects also serve these creatures as an excellent food.

Also, from insects, the bird prefers to feast on spiders, annoying flies, grasshoppers, butterflies and other small creatures of this kind. It happens that snakes, lizards, frogs become victims of this bird.

It is believed that protecting their chicks, the hoopoe attacks the enemy and pecks out his eyes

Sometimes, choosing areas for life near settlements, hoopoes begin to feed on food waste that is found in landfills. And the bird's beak, which is significant in length, helps the bird to dig in the garbage and manure.

Reproduction and life expectancy

In the process of reproduction of their own kind, such birds are inherent in constancy. First of all, they are monogamous. In addition, for the construction of nests, they prefer to choose invariably the same favorite plots for a certain number of years.

Their hoopoe nests try to hide from unwanted eyes in crevices and hollows, which are not high from the surface of the earth. Sometimes they choose niches in the walls of various stone structures... They do not like unwanted neighborhoods, including relatives.

Therefore, between married couples of hoopoes in the struggle for territory, real, cock-like battles often take place, where males fight among themselves with great ferocity.

Representatives of this species, settling in the Russian open spaces, arrive at the nesting sites immediately with the appearance of the first signs of spring. Males, preoccupied with the choice of territory for nesting, behave extremely actively and shout loudly, calling their friends.

It is possible to hear such sounds mainly in the morning, as well as in the evening. During the day, the mating songs of these birds are heard quite rarely.

Interesting that female hoopoe, for lack of anything better, can lay eggs among the bones of dead animals. A case was recorded when the nest was arranged in the ribs of a human skeleton. In a clutch, there are usually up to nine pieces of brown or gray eggs, about 2 cm in size.

The brooding process takes about a month. In this case, the male parent carefully supplies his girlfriend with food. He also helps to feed the offspring that appeared soon.

Hoopoe chicks grow and develop at a rapid pace. And at the age of three, in some cases, four weeks, they are already capable of making their first independent flights. For some time, the kids still try to stay close to the parent site. But soon they achieve complete independence. They become fertile a year after birth.

Hoopoes live for representatives of the bird kingdom for a relatively long time, a total of about eight years. According to scientific data, the population of this species of birds on the planet is very numerous, and it is not threatened with extinction.

Every year the Russian Bird Conservation Union chooses the bird of the year. Candidate views must meet several conditions. First, they must be widely distributed so that as much as possible more people could participate in its study and protection. Secondly, such a bird should be easy to recognize and distinguish from other species for a person without special training. Finally, the species is chosen such that everyone who wants to can provide it with specific assistance, for example, take part in population counts, help solve a housing problem or protect habitats.

The bird of 2015 in Russia was the redstart, and in 2016 the hoopoe will play this role. I must admit that the hoopoe fits the criteria perfectly. Seeing a hoopoe, we can easily recognize him. The most striking external sign of the hoopoe is a crest on the head of red feathers with black tips. Usually it is complex, but sometimes the bird opens it in the form of a fan. The main color of the plumage of the hoopoe is reddish, from pale ocher to bright red, depending on the habitat of the bird (in the south, as a rule, it is brighter). More intense coloration on the chest of the bird, and the abdomen is rather whitish. On the back and wings of the hoopoe, there is a contrasting pattern of black and white stripes. Indeed, such a bird can hardly be confused with someone. Gerald Durrell, in his book Garden of the Gods, tells about a wounded bird he took to his house: “I named my hoopoe Hiawatha, and his appearance in our midst was met with unanimous approval, because my family liked the hoopoe, and besides, it was the only exotic a sight that they could all recognize in twenty steps. "

The hoopoe is widespread. In Russia, the northern border of its range reaches the southern part Leningrad region, to Novgorodskaya, Yaroslavskaya, Nizhny Novgorod regions, Tatarstan, Bashkiria, bends around the Ural Mountains in the south of the Orenburg region, then passes through the south of Siberia, approximately along the 56th parallel to the Amur Region, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. Outside of Russia, the hoopoe is found throughout Eastern Europe from Poland to Greece, in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. In Germany, hoopoes are found only in certain areas, and occasionally they are found in the south of Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands and England. Also, the hoopoe is widespread in Asia from Turkey to China, and in Africa (except for the desert zone). In 1975, hoopoes were first spotted in Alaska, in the Yukon Delta. Bram reports that once the hoopoe was caught even in Svalbard.

In the north of its range, the hoopoe is a migratory bird; it flies to winter in Africa or India. In India, Indochina, Arabia and Africa, the hoopoe is a sedentary bird. In Europe, sedentary hoopoes are known only in the south of Spain and Portugal. During the flight, hoopoes can climb great heights overcoming the Himalayan mountains. Members of one of the expeditions that conquered Everest noticed hoopoes at an altitude of 6400 meters.

Hoopoes are much more common in the south, but rare in the north. In Russia, the hoopoe was included in several regional Red Data Books, for example, Lipetsk, Moscow, Tver, Kirov, Novosibirsk and Tomsk regions, as well as Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Udmurtia and the Republic of Mari El. Biologists believe that in the north, hoopoes began to settle relatively late, when people began to reduce the northern forests for pastures and fields. Hoopoes love open spaces interspersed with forests and groves, do not avoid gardens and parks, they can nest in human buildings, although the best place for a hoopoe nest is a tree hollow.

The hoopoe is considered the only species of the family of the hoopoe (Upupidae). Sometimes the subspecies of the hoopoe, found in Africa south of the equator, is considered a separate species (Upupa africana). Another contender for status a separate kind- hoopoe from Madagascar (Upupa marginata). Once upon a time special kind The hoopoe lived on the island of St. Helena, but ornithologists discovered it only after its disappearance from partially fossilized (fossilized) remains of bones. In 1963, the British zoologist Philip Ashmole discovered a humerus that was clearly different from the bones of ordinary hoopoes. And in 1975, the famous bird paleontologist Storrs Olson took two funnel-shaped bones and the left femur of this bird. This is all that scientists got from this species. It is believed that the hoopoe disappeared shortly after the discovery of Saint Helena in 1502, when rats and cats entered it. This species is called the St. Helena's hoopoe or the giant hoopoe (Upupa antaios).

Many peoples noted the characteristic cry of the hoopoe - the dull "up-up-up" or "hoop-hoop-hoop". According to the cry of the bird, its Latin name is given - upupa, and the ancient Greek - ἔποψ, their combination became the official name of the hoopoe in the biological nomenclature - Upupa epops. Onomatopoeic origins of hoopoe names in many other languages: English hoopoe, Arabic هُدْهُد, Armenian հոպոպ, Catalan puput, Chechen hӏuttut, Czech dudek, Serbian and Croatian pupavac / pupavac, Georgian ოფოფი, Irish húpú pe, Kurdish (soysh) pupuķis, Lithuanian kukutis, Macedonian pupun, Portuguese poupa, Romanian pupăză, Upper Lusatian hupak. In some cases, the onomatopoeic origin is somewhat overshadowed by changes that have occurred over the long history of the word, for example, the Spanish name for the hoopoe abubilla comes from the vernacular diminutive * upupella letters. "Hoopoe", which in turn is derived from the Latin upupa.

As often happens, people tried to hear something meaningful in the bird's cry. Russians most often perceived the "hoop-hoop-hoop" of the hoopoe as the phrase "It's bad here!" And they considered it an unkind omen (in some areas there was even the name of the hoopoe hudututka). However, they tried to listen to the Chernigov peasants more attentively. If it seemed to them that the hoopoe was shouting “It's bad here!”, The harvest would be bad, but if they heard the cry “I'll be here!”, Then they were expecting a rich harvest. In the south of Russia and Ukraine, it was believed that the cry of the hoopoe foreshadows rain, hence its other name in Ukrainian dialects - slothnyak, from the word "bad weather" slots. In some regions of Ukraine, the hoopoe was called the sinokos, as it was believed that he shouts on the eve of the haymaking season.

In 1959, the outstanding Greek director Karolos Kun once again staged Aristophanes' "Birds". The hoopoe in this comedy is one of the main characters, the king of birds. The author of the text in modern Greek, the poet Vasilis Rotas also decided to convey the cry of the hoopoe in verse. Hoopoe asks Rotas: “Πού, πού, πού, πού, πού, πού ναι αυτός που μας εκάλεσε; Πού, πού, πού, πού, σε ποιο μέρος βόσκει; ... "-" Where, where, where, where, where is the one who called us? Where, where, where, where does he graze? "

The second sign of the hoopoe, widely reflected in its names and associated folklore, is the crest. According to the legend prevailing in Volyn, the hoopoe was once the king of birds, but wanted to become a bird god. God punished the hoopoe for this, endowing him with a forelock on his head and a disgusting smell (we will return to this line of the hoopoe later). In the Caucasus, other legends were told about the appearance of the crest. They said that once the father-in-law found his daughter-in-law brushing her hair. Out of shame that they saw her as a simple-haired woman, the woman asked to be turned into a bird, and the comb remained stuck in her hair. Such a plot is known in the folklore of Azerbaijanis, Armenians and Rutulians.

Probably, the similarity of the crest with a uniform headdress caused the emergence of one of the Turkish names for the hoopoe - çavuş kuşu “bird of cavush”. Historically, Cavush was a fairly high commanding rank in the Sultan's Guard, and in the modern Turkish army, this is a sergeant's rank. And to the Croats, the hoopoe's crest resembled a crown, so the name kruničar arose. The Persians have the name of the hoopoe šânebesar "comb on the head", and the Finns call him harjalintu "bird with a comb".

Thanks to the tuft, the hoopoe looked like a rooster with its comb. The modern Greek name for the hoopoe τσαλαπετεινός appeared as a result of the addition of the Turkish çali "bush" and πετεινός "rooster", so the hoopoe is a "bush rooster". Croats sometimes called the hoopoe božij kokotić "God's cock."

The Slavs often associated the hoopoe with representatives of other peoples. In many Slavic languages, the hoopoe is called a foreign (Gypsy, Jewish, Moscow) rooster or a foreign cuckoo: Bulgarian Tsigansko loop, Belarusian zhydoўska zazulya, Ukrainian Zhidivska (Jewish) zozulya, Ukrainian Moskovska zozulya, Polish żydowska zozula. In the Stavropol Territory, the name Dutch cockerel was encountered. The Bulgarians also have the name Cherkez.

In Poland, it was said that the Jews brought the hoopoe with them from other countries and that this bird cries in Hebrew. In the Lviv region, it was believed that the hoopoe pronounces the name of the Jews: "Yud-yud!" - "What-what-what?" in Yiddish.

The cuckoo and the hoopoe are considered closely related species in many parts of the Slavic world. The Terek Cossacks even called both birds by the word cuckoo. In Poland, it was often believed that the hoopoe is the male cuckoo. Poles, Ukrainians, Czechs and Croats told tales about a married couple - the hoopoe and the cuckoo. The cuckoo asks her husband to buy her shoes or dresses (“Ku-pyt! Ku-pyt!”), But he does nothing, but only promises that he will soon fulfill everything (“From-from-from-from-coming!”).

Finally, another noticeable sign of the hoopoe is smell. In hoopoe chicks and in the female, during the incubation period, the coccygeal gland produces a special black-brown liquid with a very unpleasant odor. At the moment of danger, the bird can release a stream of this liquid, mixed with droppings, into the enemy. As a rule, this measure is enough to scare away a cat or weasel trying to destroy the nest.

The smell of the hoopoe was well known to people, and this caused the appearance of a number of dialect names: Ukrainian stinker, stinker, gidko, Serbian smrdul, smrdel. This word became the main name in the Slovenian language (smrdokavra). A number of folk signs were associated with the smell of the hoopoe. So in the south of Russia it was believed that if you hold a hoopoe in your hands, you will not be able to get a horse in your hands.

Perhaps because of the characteristic smell, the hoopoe was among the birds that were forbidden to be eaten by the faithful Jews (Deuteronomy 14:18, Leviticus 11:19). Although the Monk Ephraim the Syrian believed that the biblical should not be taken literally: "The Hoopoe is an image of people who diligently engage in pagan teachings, zealously spend their nights reading evil allegories and vile Hellenic narratives, and do not think about the world that the teachings of the Crucified One give."

Another reason the hoopoe was declared non-kosher may have been the bird's cravings for dung. Hoopoes feed on insects, and a pile of dung has always attracted a variety of flies and beetles, from where they were easy to get with the curved beak of a hoopoe, resembling tweezers. Bram describes the habits of African hoopoes as follows: “Not at all paying attention to a person who is just about to give some livelihood to dung beetles and flies and bring out pieces of tapeworms, which, at least in Ethiopia, everyone suffers, the bird walks along well familiar latrines. "

There was a legend in Transcarpathia that explained the smell of the hoopoe as a punishment for giving out to the persecutors of the hiding Christ: “You sinned”. Wine, if they caught Christ, but shouting wine: "Here-here-here." And Christ the Cossack: "You will be stinking, like a dog."

Another story was told in Algeria. In it, the hoopoe was punished by King Solomon for the offense. As if Solomon's beloved once asked him to build her a house of eggs. The king ordered all birds and fish to bring eggs. Only Sparrow and Hoopoe did not do this. Solomon ordered to deliver the disobedient to him. The sparrow, appearing before the king, said that he did not dare to bring such a small egg to such a great king. Hoopoe, however, explained his delay by thinking about important questions: "Which is longer - night or day?", "Who is more - living or dead?" men or women? " The hoopoe also reported on the results of his thoughts. The day is longer than the night because the light of the moon prolongs it. There are more living people, because they talk about the recently departed and about the great as if they were still alive. And there are more women than men, because a fool who demands to build a house from eggs is not a man.

A very strange story about the smell of the hoopoe was told by the Berbers in the south of Morocco. Hoopoe, they believed, was a loving son. When his mother died, he could not bury her in the ground, but began to wear it on his head. As a result, the mother turned into his crest, and the hoopoe got an unpleasant odor.

Hoopoe - bird of 2016

The Russian Bird Conservation Union chooses the bird of the year, guided by the following criteria: The bird must be widespread so that as many people as possible can participate in its study and protection;

It must be well recognizable so that it can be easily identified in nature not only by ornithologists;

The species should be such that everyone who wants to can provide specific assistance in solving the problems of the bird of the year, for example, take part in population censuses, help solve the housing problem or protect habitats.

The hoopoe, chosen by the bird of 2016, meets all these requirements. This is one of the brightest and most memorable birds in our country.

An unusual contrasting color - dark and white stripes on the red plumage. On the head is a magnificent crest, "mohawk", which the bird sometimes folds on the back of the head, then unfolds in all its splendor. The male and female are colored almost the same, only the females are slightly less bright, and there is no pinkish bloom on their chest.

Both the Russian and the Latin name for the bird (Upupa epops) are clearly onomatopoeic: the song of the hoopoe is the muffled repetitive sounds "up-up-up".

In our country, the hoopoe - migrant... It usually appears at the end of April, and flies away for wintering at the end of summer or in autumn. Outside Russia, hoopoes nest in Europe, Central, South Asia and Southeast, Africa and Madagascar.

Depending on the geographical latitude, the bird can be sedentary, nomadic or migratory. The hoopoe is common only in the southern regions of our country. The closer to the northern border of the range, the lower its number. In a number of subjects of the Federation, the species is listed in the regional Red Data Books (for example, Lipetsk, Moscow, Tver, Kirov, Novosibirsk and Tomsk regions, the republics of Bashkortostan, Mari El, Tatarstan, Udmurtia).

In the list of the main limiting factors for this bird, experts call: a shortage of hollow trees, tough competitive pressure on the part of starlings in the fight for nesting sites, vulnerability at the borders of the range, suboptimal climatic conditions for the species in a significant part of the range, deterioration of living conditions during wintering, a factor of concern , the destruction of nests by humans and domestic animals, the development of areas suitable for nesting.

Problems Agriculture in recent decades, they have also contributed to the decline in the number of hoopoes. These bright birds disappear both in places of intensive agricultural activity, and where they cease to cultivate arable land, pastures and vegetable gardens ... The hoopoe often settles near human habitation. The favorite food of the hoopoe is bears and their larvae. If you want to preserve your harvest, invite the hoopoe to guard your garden, build an artificial nest for it. The bird of the year will willingly settle in a birdhouse with an extended entrance or nesting house, but you can make a shelter for it from an old broken tree trunk or build a house from several bricks.

BTW, the image of the hoopoe in poetry: " Crowned bird... "" The open spaces dazzling with the fire of the wings ... "" Golden bird, fly, circle ... " which wears a natural crown on its head, is found in gardens and fields throughout the country.

Isn't it a funny picture?

Hoopoes are from the family of passerines.

Hoopoe - as we know from books for sure,

We will meet in the eastern hemisphere.

The "crown" of his crested head

Will also decorate the palace chambers

Patterned on vintage tapestries

Hanging on the walls for the holidays.

The peoples are worthy of pity,

Never met a hoopoe!

In Russia - main view, "Hoopoe - wasteland",

In the south he often wanders along the paths,

Pecks worms and various insects,

Sometimes - and in the beds near the house ...

In classical Chinese poetry, the hoopoe, revered as a model of beauty, is often presented as the messenger of the gods, bringing the news of the approaching spring. So now, since the hoopoe is the bird of the year of Russia - 2016, we can also congratulate ourselves on the eternal spring! Oh, what a graceful bird she is!

Probably, the first impressions that you can get from meeting this representative of the world of birds are a mixture of funny and beautiful! The hoopoe is a very elegant bird. With its bright colors and very clear black and white wing pattern, it will amaze not only the casual observer, but also the birdwatcher.

Subspecies

The species belongs to the hoopoe family, is widespread throughout the Palaearctic, often seen by residents of Spain and North Africa.

Several so-called subspecies of the genus have been described:

• Upupaindica, a resident of India and Ceylon.
• Upupalongirostris, which appears to be a form of Indo-Chinese countries.
• Upupamarginata, characteristic of Madagascar.
• Upupaafricana or minor, which is found in South Africa: up to the Zambezi in the east and on the west coast of Bengal.

Usually, they are all very similar in appearance, with minor differences.

Bird hoopoe: description

The bird is small. In length, its body rarely reaches 30 cm. It is easily recognizable by the black plumage of the wings and tail, as well as the tuft and a long thin beak, slightly curved downward. The head, neck and breast are colored orange with a red tint, the belly has a lighter tone. The brighter the bird is painted, the older it is. Males and females practically do not differ from each other.

The hallmark of the species is a long mobile crest on the head, consisting of red feathers arranged in two rows with a black edge at the end. When this representative of the birds lands, it unfolds like a fan.

Now you know what a hoopoe bird looks like.

Spreading

This species is very widespread in Europe (its representatives are its regular inhabitants), as well as in Siberia, Asia and North Africa. Also found in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.

The hoopoe is a migratory bird. Dwelling in summer mainly in Europe and North Asia, in autumn this representative of birds usually flies south to winter in tropical zones. Most often, the hoopoe migrates to equatorial Africa and India, although sometimes it lives all year round in China and Northeast Africa.

Usually the bird is located where there is an open area, spending a lot of time on the ground itself. The hoopoe has rather weak wings, but it is capable of a significant long flight, as evidenced by its wandering habit: the bird often appears in places very far from its usual habitats. His flying ability is also demonstrated by the fact that chased by a falcon, he quickly rises to extreme heights and often escapes the pursuit.

The hoopoe is a bird that appears in this or that part of Europe every year, most often in the spring. It adapts to captivity poorly, so very few cases of breeding hoopoes in households are recorded.

Features of migration

The hoopoe, whose photo is in the article, migrates in the northern regions of the range. Migration (most of it overnight) occurs on a wide front across Europe and the Mediterranean, and probably the Sahara as well. Although bird watchers point out that the bird population on the "black continent" is inactive in terms of migration all year round... Probably most European migrants spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa or India, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan.

The duration of the migration seasons is significantly delayed. Autumn acceleration covers the period from mid-July to the end of October or even to the end of November. Hoopoes begin migrating south of the Sahara in the second half of August, but most birds arrive there in September-October.

Return flights start in early February. Mass movements occur between mid-March and April and end in May.

Habitat

The hoopoe is a bird that chooses such habitats:

• Wasteland.
• Meadows and pastures.
• Forest steppes.
• Savannah.
• Mountain lands.
• Forest areas.

There should be some vegetation on the ground so that the birds can easily get food. There should also be "verticals" where they can build their nests, such as trees, rocks, walls and haystacks.

Changes made by humans to the natural habitat of hoopoes have led to the fact that these birds also commonly inhabit:

• Vineyards.
• Vegetable gardens and orchards.
• Olive groves.
• Parks and home gardens.

It is interesting that the hoopoe bird, whose habitat is mainly the plains, is also found in mountainous regions at an altitude of up to two thousand meters, it rarely rises higher.

What does the hoopoe eat?

The hoopoe (a photo of the bird demonstrates its beauty) feeds mainly on insects - flies, grasshoppers, termites, butterflies, ants, although spiders, worms and larvae also make up a significant part of its diet. Beetles different types are his favorite food. When the beetles are large enough, the bird first breaks them against the ground with its beak, and then eats them in parts. She swallows small bugs whole without further ado.

The hoopoe most often chooses those insects that live in manure, earth, decaying wood. A representative of birds with a long curved beak easily takes them out of a soft tree or a heap of earth. The hoopoe is a bird with a good appetite. In autumn, these birds can become so fat that some gourmets start hunting for them. By the way, in some countries of Southern Europe in the 19th century, roast hoopoe was considered an exquisite delicacy.

Reproduction

The hoopoe is a monogamous bird, although the pair relationship appears to last only one season. These birds are also territorial, with males often claiming ownership of a specific territory. Fights and fights between rival males (and sometimes females) are common and can be fierce. The birds will try to prick their rivals with their beaks.

The hoopoe usually arranges a dwelling for itself in a pit, on a tree or in a hollow. The nest has a narrow entrance, it can be unlined or collected from various waste, an unpleasant smell emanates from it, which scares off enemies.

Only the female is responsible for incubating the eggs. Clutch size varies by location: birds in the northern hemisphere lay more eggs than birds in the southern hemisphere, and birds in higher latitudes have larger clutches than birds closer to the equator. In central and northern Europe and Asia, clutch size is about 12 eggs, while between the tropics and subtropics there are usually 4 to 7 eggs in clutches. Eggs are round and milky blue when laid, but quickly discolored due to dirt in the nest, each weighing 4-5 g. Clutch replacement is possible if the first breeding attempt is unsuccessful.

The incubation period begins when the female lays the first egg and lasts 15 to 18 days. Therefore, the chicks hatch asynchronously. During incubation, male hoopoes feed the females.

Chicks hatch with a blanket of down feathers, during the day the first true feathers appear, which later grow. The children are fed first by the father, the female later joins the male in the task of finding food. Young hoopoes fledge for 26-29 days and stay with their parents for another week after they are covered with full-fledged feathers.

Security

In general, the hoopoe population is not considered to be endangered. According to some estimates, the number of birds in nature varies from 5 to 10 million individuals. Some subspecies are diminishing in number due to ecosystem disruption of their habitat and poaching. In Europe, although birdwatchers estimate there are 700,000 breeding pairs, there are Lately there is a decline in the population. The hoopoe is under threat in Germany and vulnerable in several other countries.

Hoopoe (bird) is found less and less in the northern regions. The Red Book of many Russian regions (for example, Lipetsk, Moscow, Tver, Novosibirsk) contains a record about this bird.

The hoopoe is a bird that, due to the structure of its beak, cannot peck food from the ground, so it eats quite in an original way: takes food with its beak, throws it high in the air, catches it with its wide open beak and swallows it. Like in a circus!

Sometimes, during hot months, the bird can be found in Iceland. But there she never nests.

If the hoopoe sees a bird of prey, it snuggles to the ground and spreads its wings, becoming invisible from the air.

Many superstitions are associated with birds. There are different, positive and negative, folk signs about birds. People meet them every day under any circumstances. They can tell or warn about unexpected changes in life, report good or bad news or events.

Folk omens about birds

Folk signs about birds can help you cope with the unknown and avoid dangerous life situations. Since olden times, people have watched different phenomena nature and their impact on life. This connection was reflected in the signs. One should not neglect the knowledge that has been formed and passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

Folk omens cover:

• natural phenomena;
• weather;
• animal world.

The people have created a variety of signs about birds. Long-term observation of life and the peculiarities of their behavior allowed people to compare it with climatic changes and changes in their own lives.

Any bird, whether wild or domestic, has a lot to tell. You just need to be careful and listen to what your intuition tells you.

Signs of wild birds

If you rely on the wisdom of folk signs, then when a person is circling over a person for a long time predatory bird, this could be a warning of betrayal.

1. If you notice an eagle above your head, then this is a good sign, predicts the imminent realization of the desired goals.
2. When a flock of birds flies towards a person, this is a success.
3. If you have heard the nightingale singing, then expect success in an important matter.
4. If you hear an owl or an owl near your home, expect an addition soon.
5. Seeing a wagtail nearby is a positive change in life.
6. If you see a sick or dead wagtail, you should beware of failures.
7. The appearance of a jay can herald the beginning of a happy stage in life. If you follow the bird, you can come across signs of fate that open the way to happiness.
8. If a hoopoe often flies to your house, or even settled there and built a nest for himself, then you should be more careful about your own finances.

Poultry signs

When they talk about poultry, the chicken and the rooster are immediately remembered. The crows of a rooster on the threshold of the house foreshadows the appearance of soon guests. If brooding hens behave anxiously, do not fall asleep at night and do not fall asleep, then soon disagreements and disputes with neighbors are possible.

If you keep geese at home, then they can indicate in time possible troubles in the near future. It is considered a bad sign if a goose lays 2 eggs or when a goose disappears from the yard for any reason.

Signs about city birds

Swallow, magpie, crow, dove live in cities, which has led to the emergence of many superstitions associated with them.

1. When a swallow has made a nest near your window, it bodes only good, good luck will deign to your home. But if the bird suddenly leaves the nest, then this is bad, luck has turned away from you for some reason.
2. If any bird flies into your window with ease and soon flew out, then positive news awaits you. If the bird was restlessly rushing about all over the room, you can get ready for equally disturbing news.
3. When a magpie flies near a sick person, one can expect a quick and successful recovery. A similar positive outcome may be evidenced by the rather energetic jumps of the magpie around the neighborhood of the house.
4. Ravens are associated with not the most good omens, but still these are not harbingers of bad, but only signs from fate. When a crow flies overhead for a long time and croaks quite loudly, you should expect trouble, and if a bird croaks on the roof of the church, then soon someone will die.
5. When a dove suddenly swooped down on you, this is a reason for joy, it informs you that any business you have conceived will certainly succeed.

Signs about the weather

There are a huge number of signs about the weather associated with birds:

• if a magpie made a nest at a high altitude, then the next month promises sunny and low wind weather, but if the nest is located quite low, bad weather should be expected;
• when the crow screams strongly and does not stop walking from place to place, rain is expected;
• high flight of a swallow - to clear weather, and low - to bad weather;
• the return of the swallow from warm regions in early spring - to an imminent thunderstorm, the weather should be favorable for growing crops.