Green wood hoopoe

Formerly called the red-billed wood hoopoe, in Afrikaans die rooibekkakelaar and Zulu iNhlekabafazi.

The voice is a loud cackling starting off slowly then a crescendo with several birds calling together. The Zulu’s liken it to laughter of woman hence their name for it. They are common residents in South Africa, mainly absent from the highveld and dry west.

These hoopoe’s like Acacia thornveld, mixed woodland, edges of evergreen forest, exotic plantations, gardens and parks. Being gregarious usually in groups of three to nine birds, they forage mostly by clambering about branches of trees, probing into loose bark and fissures using the tail as a prop. They also feed on the ground and hawk insects in flight.

Flight is in a loose formation from tree to tree, they are restless and noisy. Food preference insects, millipedes, lizards and nectar of flowers.

Breeding season is in all months, with only one breeding pair per group and they may rear two broods per year. The nest is an old hole of barbet’s and woodpeckers. Two to five pale olive green or turquoise eggs are laid. Incubation about 18 days and they are nestlings for about 30 days. They are fed by both parents and up to three adult helpers.

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