Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus)
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Green Wood Hoopoe

Phoeniculus purpureus (Miller, JF, 1784)

73 gWeight

The green wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) is a large, up to 44 cm (17 in) long tropical bird native to Africa.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Gambia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Gambia

Green Wood Hoopoe has been recorded at 385 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 28 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Lake Nakuru NPKenya817 records
  2. Lake Mburo NPUganda459 records
  3. Kruger NP – Satara CampSouth Africa451 records
More places
  1. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa407 records
  2. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa347 records
  3. Tarangire NPTanzania329 records
  4. Lake NaivashaKenya279 records
  5. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa268 records
  6. Campement de WassadouSenegal252 records
  7. Kruger NP – Berg-en-Dal CampSouth Africa208 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaGambiaBotswanaTanzaniaUgandaGhanaZambia

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 green wood hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) is a large, up to 44 cm (17 in) long tropical bird native to Africa. It is a member of the family Phoeniculidae, the wood hoopoes, and was formerly known as the red-billed wood hoopoe.

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

Questions

How big is the Green Wood Hoopoe?

The Green Wood Hoopoe weighs around 73 g.

Where does the Green Wood Hoopoe live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Gambia.

When is the best time to see the Green Wood Hoopoe?

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

Is the Green Wood Hoopoe endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Green Wood Hoopoe as Least Concern.

What does the Green Wood Hoopoe eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Green Wood Hoopoe in?

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

At a glance

Weight
73 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
139 mm
Tail
189 mm
Bill
47 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

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

Range

Africa: widespread

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 bolleiBlack-billed Wood HoopoeBlack-billed Wood HoopoePhoeniculus somaliensisViolet Wood HoopoeViolet Wood HoopoePhoeniculus damarensisBlack ScimitarbillBlack ScimitarbillRhinopomastus aterrimusCommon ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillRhinopomastus cyanomelasAbyssinian ScimitarbillAbyssinian ScimitarbillRhinopomastus minor
Green Wood Hoopoe

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

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