Systematics

Upupa Epops Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae ed. 10, p. 117. Type locality given as "Europe" (25 Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per Regna tria Naturae, secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Volume 1. 10th edition. Laurentius Salvius, Holmia [Stockholm], Sweden. Close ) but later restricted to Sweden.

Synonyms:

Upupa indica Reichenbach, 1853, Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie, p. 320, pl. DXCVI, f. 4037. Type locality listed as "Bengalen, Nepal, Nilgerris, Tenasserim" (33 Reichenbach, H. G. L. (1853). Avium systema naturale. Das natürliche system der vögel mit hundert tafeln grösstentheils original-abbildungen der bis jetzt entdecken fast zwölfhundert typischen formen. Dresden and Liepzig, Germany. Close ).

Upupa epops pallida Erlanger, 1900, Journal für Ornithologie 48:15 (34 Erlanger, C. F. (1900). Beiträge zur avifauna Tunesiens. Journal für Ornithologie 48:1-105 Close ). Type locality given as "Tunisia" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops loudoni Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, 1902, Ornithologisches Jahrbuch 13:70 (36 Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, V. R. (1902). Über paläarctische Formen. Ornithologisches Jahrbuch 13:68-72 Close ). Type locality given as "Trans-caspia" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops pulchra Floericke, 1905, Heimat Kanarienvögels, p. 32 (37 Floericke, K. (1905). Aus der Heimat des Kanarienvogels. Schilderung des Kanarischen Inseln und ihrer Vogelwelt. Selbstverlag der Bersassers, Vienna, Austria Close ). Type locality given as "Tenerife, Canary Islands" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops petrosa Floericke, 1905, Heimat Kanarienvögels, p. 32 (37 Floericke, K. (1905). Aus der Heimat des Kanarienvogels. Schilderung des Kanarischen Inseln und ihrer Vogelwelt. Selbstverlag der Bersassers, Vienna, Austria Close ). Type locality given as "Tenerife, Canary Islands" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops fuerteventurae Polatzek, 1908, Ornithologisches Jahrbuch 19:166 (38 Polatzek, J. (1908). Die Vögel der Canaren. Ornithologisches Jahrbuch 19:81–119, 161–197. Close ). Type locality given as "Fuerteventura, Canary Islands" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops saturata Lönnberg, 1909, Arkiv för Zoologi 5(9):29. Type locality given as "Kjachta" [=Khyagt] in southern Transbaicalia (39 Lönnberg, E. (1909). Notes on birds collected by Mr. Otto Bamberg in southern Transbaicalia and northern Mongolia. Arkiv för Zoologi 5(9):1-42 Close , 35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

eUpupa butleri Madarász, 1911, Annales Historico-naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 9:339. Type locality given as "Chor-Em-Dul," near the Ethiopian border between the Dinder and the Blue Nile (40 Madarász, J. (1911). Neue vögel aus Afrika. Annales historico-naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 9:339-342 Close , 35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa epops orientalis Baker, 1921, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 42:29. This was a new name given for Upupa indica Reichenbach, 1853, on the basis that Upupa indica Latham, 1790 was already used for another species (41 Baker, E. C. S. (1921). New names for two Indian birds. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 42:29 Close ).

Upupa epops renzoi Trischitta, 1939, Bagheria Arti Grafiche Solunto, p. 1 (42 Trischitta, A. (1939). Alcune nuove forme di Uccelli Italiani. In Bagheria Arti Grafiche Solunto, Arti Grafiche Saluto Close ). Type locality given as "Sardinia" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Breeds from northwestern Africa (east to Libya), Canary Islands and central and southern Europe, then south to Jordan and Israel (as far south as the northen Negev Desert), and east to south-central Russia (Ob–Yenisey watershed), northwestern China (Xinjiang) and northwestern India; this is probably the subspecies breeding in Arabia (43 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission & Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Close , 31 Krištín, A., and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ). European breeders "winter" largely in the Iberian Peninsula, northwest coastal Africa and across the Sahel. The non-breeding range also stretches from the Nile River Valley, Israel, and Lebanon east across Arabia and into India, but the eastern boundary of the nonbreeding range is not well known (eBird data, accessed 17 February 2024).

See other subspecies for comparisons.

Upupa major Brehm, 1855, Der vollständige Vögelsang: Eine gründliche Anleitung alle europaischen Vögel, p. 78 (44 Brehm, C. L. (1855). Der vollständige Vögelsang: Eine gründliche Anleitung alle europaischen Vögel. Berlag, Drud und Lithographie von Bernh. Close ). Type locality given as "visits Egypt in winter" (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Resident in Egypt, northern Sudan and eastern Chad (Ennedi) (31 Krištín, A., and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ).

Similar to nominate subspecies, but has grayer upperparts, less white on the secondaries, and a more heavily streaked belly; also, its bill is longer overall and thicker at the base (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 ).

Upupa ceylonensis Reichenbach, 1853, Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie, p. 320, pl. DXCV, f. 4036 (33 Reichenbach, H. G. L. (1853). Avium systema naturale. Das natürliche system der vögel mit hundert tafeln grösstentheils original-abbildungen der bis jetzt entdecken fast zwölfhundert typischen formen. Dresden and Liepzig, Germany. Close ). Type locality given as "Ceylon" [=Sri Lanka] (35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Resident (at least mostly) in the plains of Pakistan and northern India south to Sri Lanka (31 Krištín, A., and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ),

Smaller and shorter-crested than Upupa epops longirostris (4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. Close ).

Upupa longirostris Jerdon, 1862, The Birds of India 1:393. Type locality given as "Burma" [=Myanmar] (45 Jerdon, T. C. (1862). Birds of India. Volume 1. Military Orphan Press, Calcutta, India. Close ).

Resident (at least largely) in Assam and Bangladesh east to southern China, and south through most of southeast Asia, though only to the northern Malay Peninsula (31 Krištín, A., and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ).

Apparently, very similar to nominate subspecies, but lacks white subterminal bands on crest feathers (7 Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Upupa Senegalensis Swainson, 1837, The Naturalist's Library: Birds of Western Africa, Part II, p. 114. Type locality given as "Senegal" (46 Swainson, W. (1837). Birds of Western Africa, Part II. In The Naturalist's Library, Volume XII (W. Jardine, Editor), Henry G. Bohn, London Close ).

Synonyms:

Upupa somalensis Salvin, 1892 Catalogue of the Birds of the British Museum 16:4. Type locality given as "Somaliland" (47 Salvin, O., and E. Hartert (1892). Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Volume 16. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, UK. Close , 35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Upupa intermedia Ogilvie-Grant and Reid, 1901, Ibis 8(1):674. Type locality given as "Hülül, S. Abyssinia" [=southern Ethiopia] (48 Ogilvie-Grant, W. R., and R.J. Reid (1901). On the Birds collected during an Expedition through Somaliland and Southern Abyssinia to Lake Zwai. Ibis 8(1):607-699. Close ).

Resident from Mauritania to Sierra Leone east through southern Algeria (Ahaggar) and Chad to Ethiopia and Somalia (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 ); this may be the subspecies breeding in Yemen and extreme southwestern Saudi Arabia (43 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission & Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Close ), and it is a rare breeder in Liberia (3 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). U. e. senegalensis is likely a partial migrant, with some birds moving as far south as southern Cameroon and southern Somalia (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 ).

Compared to the nominate subspecies, senegalensis is slightly darker, with a more cinnamon-rufous head and more white on the secondaries, which creates large white patches (3 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Upupa waibeli Reichenow, 1913, Ornithologische Monatsberichte 21:8. Type locality given as "Bamugu" [=Bemugu, Cameroon] (49 Reichenow, A. (1913). Upupa waibeli n. sp. Ornithologische Monatsberichte 21:8 Close , 35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

This subspecies is sometimes subsumed into senegalensis (e.g., 35 Peters, J. L. (1945) Check-list of birds of the world. Volume 5. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close ).

Resident in Cameroon, southern Chad and northern Democratic Republic of Congo east to Uganda and northern Kenya (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 ). Likely a partial migrant south to equatorial Uganda and Kenya (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 ).

Upupa epops waibeli is intermediate between senegalensis and africana, though it still has a white bar across the primaries (3 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).