Description:

Unmistakable, with long, thin, decurved bill and large crest. Mainly rufous-orange to orange-buff, with striking black-and-white wings and tail, black-tipped fan-like crest which is usually held flat, and downcurved bill. Broad, rounded wings and like giant butterfly in flight.

Distribution:

Common summer visitor to all the valleys and towns of Gilgit-Baltistan. Prefers open country such as pastures, orchards and cultivations with scattered trees around villages and in traditionally farmed areas, breeding up to 4000m.

Behavior:

Forages mostly on ground, digging and probing with bill in soft earth; also turns over leaves and other debris, probes in refuse and dry dung for insects and invertebrates, and occasionally pokes at carrion. Mostly feeds on larger insects and their soft soil-dwelling larvae and pupae.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Eurasian Hoopoe in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Eurasian Hoopoe

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.