FEATHERY FRIDAY # 25

FEATHERY FRIDAY# 25

It’s Friday, Friday we’re celebrating Feathery Friday! We found a funny bird with a crown full of feathers for you today! These little birds live all over, so pack your passport and let’s head out to find this bird!

MEET THE HOOPOE!

   Range/Habitat: Europe-Asia-Africa/ woodlands- grasslands

   Diet: Carnivore: snails, insects, worms

   Length/Weight: 11”/ 2 ½ oz

   Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

• Hoopoes are little birds with long curved bills.
• They use their bills to peck the ground for prey! They probe the ground with their bills open, kind of like birdie chopsticks!
• They have a beautiful crown of feathers on their head.
• Hoopoe is pronounced like this!
• They get their name from their call.
• Hoopoes take baths in sand and dust.
• They are known to be foul-smelling and dirty birds.
• Hoopoes keep their nests very dirty with poop and other secretions. This is thought to be a defense mechanism against predators.
• Hoopoes are the national bird of Israel.

These beautiful birds sure have a bad reputation for being dirty, but sometimes being dirty can be a good thing! Ellie likes to get dirty, because mud is great for elephants! Just think if predators think your nest smells so bad they won’t get near it than being dirty works! Now, please don’t tell your mom and dad that you keep your room dirty to keep out predators J!