Black-billed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis)
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Black-billed Wood Hoopoe

Phoeniculus somaliensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1901)

26 gWeight

The black-billed wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea

Black-billed Wood Hoopoe has been recorded at 24 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Hara Langano LodgeEthiopia115 records
  2. Bishangari LodgeEthiopia68 records
  3. Abidjatta-Shalla NPEthiopia63 records
More places
  1. Lake Langano – Simbo LodgeEthiopia37 records
  2. Yabello areaEthiopia37 records
  3. Awash NPEthiopia36 records
  4. Awash NP – southern sectionEthiopia27 records
  5. Doho LodgeEthiopia22 records
  6. Awash NP – Lodge and FallsEthiopia19 records
  7. Lake Ziway – southwestern shoreEthiopia17 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EthiopiaSomaliaEritrea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-billed wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is native to eastern Africa where it is found in wooded and scrubby areas.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe?

The Black-billed Wood Hoopoe weighs around 26 g.

Where does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea.

When is the best time to see the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe as Least Concern.

What does the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-billed Wood Hoopoe in?

It belongs to the family Wood Hoopoes (Phoeniculidae), order Bucerotiformes.

At a glance

Weight
26 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
145 mm
Tail
212 mm
Bill
54 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: eastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Wood Hoopoes Phoeniculidae
Genus
Phoeniculus

Other birds in the genus Phoeniculus

Forest Wood HoopoeForest Wood HoopoePhoeniculus castaneicepsWhite-headed Wood HoopoeWhite-headed Wood HoopoePhoeniculus bolleiGreen Wood HoopoeGreen Wood HoopoePhoeniculus purpureusViolet Wood HoopoeViolet Wood HoopoePhoeniculus damarensisBlack ScimitarbillBlack ScimitarbillRhinopomastus aterrimusCommon ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillRhinopomastus cyanomelasAbyssinian ScimitarbillAbyssinian ScimitarbillRhinopomastus minor
Black-billed Wood Hoopoe

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by markus lilje. ↗

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