: any of a genus (Upupua of the family Upupidae) of crested Old World nonpasserine birds having a slender decurved bill and barred black-and-white wings and tail
Examples of hoopoe in a Sentence
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Some of the more colorful birds that can be seen here include the oriole; the hoopoe, which can be found in orchards and forests; and the beautiful European bee-eater, which nests in colonies on sandy banks along rivers.
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David Escribano, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Leading the avian gang is Hod-Hod, a young adventurous hoopoe who sets off on a quest to meet the legendary bird Simorgh, rumored to hold the key to solving all the birds’ problems.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
Other top-scoring creatures included emerald turacos with bright green crests adorning their heads; pigeons sporting a vibrant variety of colorful feathers; and the hoopoe, an African bird with an impressive mohawk and orange, black and white stripes, reports Hannah Seo for Popular Science.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 May 2021
The hoopoe's skull contains more spongy bone, an airy-looking material made of branches surrounding pockets of space.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011
Compared to the hoopoe, the brain of the woodpecker is packed tightly in dense bone.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011
Animals and plants that have been driven from much of Europe’s intensively farmed landscapes, including wolves, the Eurasian hoopoe bird and a plant called great horsetail, are reclaiming areas that were considered dead just a few years ago.
—Washington Post, 14 June 2018
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David Escribano, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Leading the avian gang is Hod-Hod, a young adventurous hoopoe who sets off on a quest to meet the legendary bird Simorgh, rumored to hold the key to solving all the birds’ problems.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
Other top-scoring creatures included emerald turacos with bright green crests adorning their heads; pigeons sporting a vibrant variety of colorful feathers; and the hoopoe, an African bird with an impressive mohawk and orange, black and white stripes, reports Hannah Seo for Popular Science.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 May 2021
The hoopoe's skull contains more spongy bone, an airy-looking material made of branches surrounding pockets of space.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011
Compared to the hoopoe, the brain of the woodpecker is packed tightly in dense bone.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011
Animals and plants that have been driven from much of Europe’s intensively farmed landscapes, including wolves, the Eurasian hoopoe bird and a plant called great horsetail, are reclaiming areas that were considered dead just a few years ago.
—Washington Post, 14 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Hoopoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoopoe. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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