A likely breeding case of the Common Hoopoe in the Netherlands

Common Hoopoe / Hop / Upupa epops ©GertKorthof

The Hoopoe is a rare and unique bird in The Netherlands. It has an unusual combination of a movable crest like that of a cockatoo, and a long beak curved slightly downwards like that of an Eurasian Curlew (wulp). The plumage is a combination of an inconspicuous brown and a striking black-and-white pattern. The food-seeking behavior is mostly on grasslands and clearings in the forest, but it breeds in tree cavities like a woodpecker.

©GertKorthof

Recently, I was fortunate enough to watch this beautiful bird in the wild in The Netherlands. It landed on a bare spot in the forest about 20 meters (65 Feet) away from where I was walking. From my position, I could observe, photograph, and film it perfectly. After a few minutes, it flew away. I was able to make a short video:

A short video clearly shows the hurried way of foraging.

Evidence for a breeding case

The bird is very busy gathering food for short moments during most of the day on different locations and returning again and again. It has been observed that the birds repeatedly fly with food in their beaks in the same direction. They are usually very relaxed, but this bird was very busy. I have seen pictures made by another birder that clearly show a Hoopoe flying away with an insect in its beak. That is the best, albeit indirect, proof of a nest with young. This is not the same as fledging, the stage that the young leave the nest. Only then can it be called a success.

I have submitted my observation to waarneming.nl. The image recognition system (ObsIdentify) resulted in a 100% certain identification. Not really a surprise for an easily recognizable bird. This observation appeared to be under embargo and is only visible to myself and authorized persons. So, I can't see how many observations have been submitted. My observation was automatically approved. This shows that manually approved observations of the bird on the same location must have existed already at that moment. Despite its rareness, there are a lot of Hoopoe observations visible in waarneming.nl at many locations in The Netherlands, but these aren't breeding cases.

How rare is the Hoopoe in the Netherlands?

Hop Upupa epops. breeding 2021-2023 SOVON

Hop Upupa epops. Non-breeding 1989-2014 SOVON

See for more data:  SOVON [3]

 

Fun facts

Peterson, Mountfort, Hollom, Kist 1964 [2]

My first serious bird guide, at the time it was referred to as 'De Kist', now 62 years old, has a Hoopoe on the cover! How charming! They placed a very rare breeding bird on the cover! Field characteristics of the Hoopoe:

"Searches for food mainly on open ground. Nests in tree cavities and the like. Very rare breeding bird of open woodland. Reappeared for the first time since 1943, after 30 years. Rare migrant from mid-August to late October and in spring in April and May." (page 195)

The map in this bird guide shows that the Netherlands lie above the northern border of the breeding area. Birds showing up in The Netherlands could be called pioneers venturing into unknown territory. This could explain why the number of birds fluctuates from year to year. I imagine that after a good breeding season in southern countries, young birds migrate north. Their usual food grasshoppers and lizards are relatively rare in our country, so the pioneer birds must adapt to other prey [1]. They must be flexible.

A bird encyclopedia published between 1770 and 1829 DE NEDERLANDSCHE VOGELEN: [4]

De Nederlandsche Vogelen. (Grutto op omslag)
Compare with a modern bird guide.

 

3 pages about the 'UPUPA' or HOPPE. [4]

 

The illustration is of high quality and is absolutely sufficient to identify the bird. The author describes the bird as a rare breeding bird. It was difficult to locate the nest of the bird. Between 1747 and 1778 it has not been seen. This shows how irregular the presence of the bird was at the time. However, the most striking fact in modern eyes is the fact that the author received a (dead!) breeding pair of Hoopoes complete with eggs and part of the 'nest' that had been captured (?) shot(?) from the wild! Fun fact: the author mentions that the famous philosopher Aristotle already knew the bird [5].

 

Title plate of book III clearly showing a Hoopoe..

Finally, the Hoopoe is present in the holy book of Christians, The Bible: " It is mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat under the dietary laws of the Mosaic Law." [6],[7].

 

Notes

1. R.M. Teixeira (1979) Atlas van Nederlandse broedvogels. page 212-213. 
2. Dutch translation of: Peterson, Mountfort, Hollom 1964) A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Translated and adapted by Mr. J. Kist.
3. SOVON, (Stichting Ornithologisch Veldonderzoek Nederland, Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology) is the most reliable source of the numbers of bird species in The Netherlands. The most recent report is Broedvogels in Nederland 2024. The Hoopoe is described on this page with an estimated number of 5-7 breeding cases. (information from Klaas van Dijk 2 Jun 2026).
4. DE NEDERLANDSCHE VOGELEN free online edition. 'Hoppe' is the old name of the Hop.
5. I checked it, and indeed: THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS by Ari" target="_blank">on this pagele, tr with an estimated number of 5-7 breeding cases. nslated by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, Book VI.
6. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat under the dietary laws of the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 11:19, Deuteronomy 14:18. Unclean for consumption: the Hoopoe is grouped with other "unclean" and detestable birds (like vultures and bats). It is indeed repeatedly mentioned in the literature that droppings accumulate in the nest and are not cleaned up. Understandable that it is an 'unclean bird'. However, it is possible that this fact has been endlessly copied without first-hand observations! Most birds keep their nests clean due to the risk of infection. [added: 2 Jun 2026]
7. Vogels in de Bijbel geeft 21 vogels, waaronder de Hop, maar ook de Struisvogel! Dat kan natuurlijk niet, want de Struisvogel komt alleen in Afrika voor. [4 juni 2026]

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