Habitat

The Eurasian Hoopoe is a bird of open areas, albeit sometimes open areas within somewhat open woodlands, with sandy or otherwise easily penetrable soil. During the breeding season, holes (e.g., in trees, nestboxes, pipes in buildings) are needed for nests.

The Eurasian Hoopoe has two major requirements for an area to be deemed suitable during the breeding season: appropriate nest sites and good feeding habitat. The former includes preexisting holes in trees, buildings (including pipes), banks, cliffs, rock piles, termite mounds, and where provided, nestboxes (see Breeding: Nest Site). The latter also requires open land with relatively soft substrate and a barren or sparsely vegetated surface.

In much of Europe, this habitat is often farmland with patches of woods with dead trees, but in southwestern France, birds also breed in oak (Quercus sp.) forest fragments embedded within a landscape matrix of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) and woodland openings, and in Spain and Italy, they breed in pine plantations with openings and clearings (76 Battisti, A., M. Bernardi, and C. Ghiraldo (2000). Predation by the hoopoe on pupae of Thaumetopoea pityocampa and the likely influence on other natural enemies. Biocontrol 45:311–323. Close , 77 Fournier, J., and R. Arlettaz (2001). Food provision to nestlings in the Hoopoe Upupa epops: implications for the conservation of a small endangered population in the Swiss Alps. Ibis 143(1):2–10. Close , 78 Camprodon, J., and L. Brotons (2006). Effects of undergrowth clearing on the bird communities of the Northwestern Mediterranean Coppice Holm oak forests. Forest Ecology and Management 221:72–82. Close , 79 Barbaro, L., J. P. Rossi, F. Vetillard, J. Nezan, and H. Jactel (2007). The spatial distribution of birds and carabid beetles in pine plantation forests: the role of landscape composition and structure. Journal of Biogeography 34:652–664. Close ). Similarly, in Russia the Eurasian Hoopoe breeds where there are open glades in sparse pine or oak woodlands and in mixed landscapes where woodlands alternate with open steppe (80 Dementiev, G. P., and N. A. Gladkov, Editors (1951). The Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol. 1. (English translation 1966). Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. Close ).

In Türkiye, the Eurasian Hoopoe breeds up to 3,000 m above sea-level in open rocky areas, villages, farmland with trees and walls, open woodlands, orchards, and olive groves (81 Kirwan, G. M., K. A. Boyla, P. Castell, B. Demirci, M. Özen, H. Welch, and T. Marlow (2008). The Birds of Turkey: The Distribution, Taxonomy and Breeding of Turkish Birds. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In Afghanistan, it breeds in barren foothills, poplar (Populus sp.) groves, tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) scrub, and agricultural lands as high as 3,100 m, but more typically below 2,000 m (82 Paludan, K. (1959). On the birds of Afghanistan. Videnskabelige Meddelelser Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening 122:1–332. Close ). On the Indian subcontinent, it breeds in open woodlands, agricultural areas, and near villages at elevations up to 3,500 m in Pakistan, 4,400 m in Nepal, and 2,870 m in Bhutan (61 Grimmett, R., C. Inskipp, and T. Inskipp (1999). A Guide to the Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ). In Tibet, it breeds up to 4,400 m (83 Lu, X., D. Ke, X. Ma, G. Gong, and T. Yu (2010). Nesting records of 258 bird species in Lhasa region, Tibet. Chinese Birds 1(3):167–174. Close ). In Thailand, its breeding habitat includes open mixed deciduous and hill evergreen forests as well as cultivated areas up to an elevation of 1,500 m (84 Lekagul, B., and P. D. Round (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Thailand. Saha Karn Bhaet Co., Bangkok, Thailand. Close ).

In Africa, its favored habitats are pretty similar to that of Europe. They include open woodlands (including wooded savannas), cultivated fields and orchards, and well-watered lawns and parks; wooded areas can be sparse or relatively dense as long as there are areas with scant to no vegetation or lawn-like swards, and savannas must have scattered large trees or termite mounds for nesting (6 Maclean, G. L. (1985). Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Fifth edition. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. Close , 2 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close , 3 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 51 Stevenson, T., and J. Fanshawe (2002). Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, UK. Close ). In eastern Africa, breeding occurs up to 2,200 m (51 Stevenson, T., and J. Fanshawe (2002). Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, UK. Close ).

The habitats used by the Eurasian Hoopoe outside of the breeding season are much like those used during the breeding season, minus the requirement of holes for breeding. Note that frozen ground precludes feeding. Presumably, trees or other safe spots to roost at night are needed.