These astonishing looking birds seldom allowed close approach. They like to dig in the ground with their long pick-like
bill. They are divided into three groups.
- Eurasian - migratory
- Central African - sedentary
- African - sedentary
Most authorities including Clements and HBW, consider these three groups to be one species, but IOC elevates
the sedentary African group (but not the Central African group) into a separate species, African Hoopoe (Upupa
africana). Clements retains the English name Eurasian Hoopoe for the combined species even though it includes
populations well outside of Eurasia. HBW uses Common Hoopoe which I think is more sensible.
Birds in India are in the Eurasian group. Several races are possible. The nominate group (U. e. epops/saturata)
are migrants from the north. They have more conspicuous white subterminal spots on the rear of the crest. A resident
population (U. e. ceylonensis/orientalis) is smaller and darker with minimal or no white on the crest.
I judge this bird to be a good fit for the latter group. Orientalis is synonymized by HBW so following their
taxonomy I have provisionally assigned this bird to ceylonensis.
Hoopoes are in their own family, the Upupidae. They have traditionally been placed with the Coraciiformes which
include kingfishers, rollers and bee-eaters. However they have since been moved to a new order, Bucerotiformes
based on molecular studies. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.
References:
Burleigh, J.G., R.T. Kimball, and E.L. Braun. 2015. Building the avian tree of life using a large-scale, sparse
supermatrix. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 53-63.
Hackett, S.J., R.T. Kimball, S. Reddy, R.C.K. Bowie, E.L. Braun, M.J. Braun, J.L. Chojnowski, W.A. Cox, K.-L. Han,
J. Harshman, C.J. Huddleston, B.D. Marks, K.J. Miglia, W.S. Moore, F.H. Sheldon, D.W. Steadman, C.C. Witt, and
T. Yuri. 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science 320: 1763-1768.
Kristín, A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2016). Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A.,
Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions,
Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/55871 on 7 August
2016).
Rasmussen, P.C. & Anderton, J.C. 2012. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vols. 1 and 2. Second Edition.
Smithsonian Institution. Michigan State University & Lynx Edicions, Washington. D.C., Michigan & Barcelona.