The Madagascar hoopoe (''Upupa marginata'') is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. It was previously considered a subspecies (''Upupa epops marginata'') of the hoopoe, but was split due to its vocalisations and small differences in

plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

. Some taxonomists still consider all three species conspecific. Some authorities also keep the African and Eurasian hoopoe together, but split the Madagascar hoopoe. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

, where its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is a common bird and the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

considers its conservation status to be of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

Description

The adult Madagascar hoopoe is about long and weighs . It has a long, decurved bill, and cinnamon-coloured plumage, the wings being boldly barred in black and white. The tail is black and a long, cinnamon crest with black-tipped feathers can be raised when the bird is alarmed. The wings are broad and rounded; the characteristic flight consists of a few beats after which the wings are folded momentarily and the bird glides, before resuming flapping. The female is slightly duller in colour than the male, with less white on the wings. Compared to the African hoopoe, it is larger, has a longer tail and a pinker throat. The song differs markedly from the African hoopoe's "hoop-hoop-hoop", being described as "a low cooing trill ''rrrrrrooow'', dropping slightly, lasting 1.5–2.5 seconds, repeated every 3–10 seconds".

Distribution and habitat

The Madagascar hoopoe is

to Madagascar where its range includes the north, west, central and southern parts of the country, while it is largely absent from the east. It inhabits the edges of forests, clearings, glades, savannah, pasture and brushland.

Ecology

The Madagascar hoopoe usually occurs alone or in pairs, foraging on the ground, walking a few steps and then looking around, bobbing its head, probing the soil and leaf litter with its beak, picking items off the surface of the ground, probing dung and investigating crevices. Its diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles and flies and their larvae, grasshoppers and caterpillars. When disturbed it may fly to a horizontal branch where it perches, flashing its wings and raising and lowering its crest. This species is monogamous and territorial. Breeding takes place between August and December, mostly during October and November. The nest is in a deep cavity in a tree, often within of the ground. Little nesting material is used and the hole becomes messy and smelly before the young fledge. One nest had a clutch of six bluish-grey eggs. Incubation may possibly be done solely by the female, and the partner has been observed feeding the incubating bird. In other species of hoopoe, the incubation period is 15 to 16 days and the fledging period 26 to 32 days. Both parents are involved in feeding the young.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q734145 Upupa Endemic birds of Madagascar Birds described in 1860 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Jean Cabanis Taxa named by Ferdinand Heine