African Hoopoe
Upupa africana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderBucerotiformes (Hornbills and Hoopoes)
- FamilyUpupidae (Hoopoes)
- GenusUpupa (Hoopoes)
- SpeciesUpupa africana (African Hoopoe)
The Eurasian hoopoe or common hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of hoopoe. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". The Eurasian hoopoe is native to Europe, Asia and Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. Some ornithologists consider the Madagascar hoopoe (U. marginata) as a subspecies. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a African Hoopoe sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 24 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Lake Nakuru National Park
Common Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Green Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus purpureus
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Common Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Southern Ground-Hornbill
Bucorvus leadbeateri
Crowned Hornbill
Lophoceros alboterminatus
Hemprich's Hornbill
Lophoceros hemprichii
Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus minor
White-headed Wood Hoopoe
Phoeniculus bollei
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Tockus deckeni
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Hoopoe in Lake Nakuru National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a African Hoopoe sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 24 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Hoopoe in Lake Nakuru National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for African Hoopoe in Lake Nakuru National Park in our monthly data.