White-headed Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus bollei)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-headed Wood Hoopoe

Phoeniculus bollei (Hartlaub, 1858)

30–35 cmLength55 gWeight

Most records: Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda

White-headed Wood Hoopoe has been recorded at 59 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Ruhija to Broadbill WalkUganda204 records
  2. Bwindi-Impenetrable NP – Mubwindi SwampUganda177 records
  3. Bwindi-Impenetrable NP – RuhijaUganda160 records
More places
  1. Rumangabo ICCN Camp & Mikeno Lodge and trailsCongo - Kinshasa154 records
  2. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya141 records
  3. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – BuhomaUganda140 records
  4. Kakamega Forest NRKenya138 records
  5. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya129 records
  6. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Waterfall WalkUganda110 records
  7. Kakamega Forest NR – Ikuywa RiverKenya107 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaKenyaRwandaGhanaCongo - KinshasaCôte d’IvoireBurundiTanzania

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

Questions

How big is the White-headed Wood Hoopoe?

The White-headed Wood Hoopoe is about 30–35 cm long and weighs around 55 g.

Where does the White-headed Wood Hoopoe live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.

Is the White-headed Wood Hoopoe endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-headed Wood Hoopoe as Least Concern.

What does the White-headed Wood Hoopoe eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the White-headed Wood Hoopoe in?

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

At a glance

Length
30–35 cm
Weight
55 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
129 mm
Tail
212 mm
Bill
43 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

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

Range

Africa: western, central

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 castaneicepsGreen Wood HoopoeGreen Wood HoopoePhoeniculus purpureusBlack-billed Wood HoopoeBlack-billed Wood HoopoePhoeniculus somaliensisViolet Wood HoopoeViolet Wood HoopoePhoeniculus damarensisBlack ScimitarbillBlack ScimitarbillRhinopomastus aterrimusCommon ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillRhinopomastus cyanomelasAbyssinian ScimitarbillAbyssinian ScimitarbillRhinopomastus minor
White-headed Wood Hoopoe

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

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