19. Hoopoe

The Hoopoe is one of our more exotic-looking birds. In flight, it's like the bird version of a butterfly, with wide wings, flashing black-and-white stripes and a rather slow, flappy flight. On the ground, however, the bird virtually disappears, thanks to its sandy colour and skulking habits as it walks about on its short legs, probing the soil for worms and insects with its long curved bill. The Hoopoe (M: Daqquqa tat-Toppu) is a passage bird, and right now it's crossing over from Africa to Europe to breed. It is a protected species in Malta, but still turns up in thousands of stuffed-bird collections. Thanks to the ban on hunting in spring, however, there is a better chance today to enjoy Hoopoes in our countryside. Who knows, some day it may nest here too!

Text by Victor Falzon, photo by Chris Cachia Zammit Copyright to Birdlife Malta.