Woodhoopoes (Phoeniculidae)
Green Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) - HBW 6, p. 429
French: Irrisor moqueur
German: Baumhopf
Spanish: Abubilla-arbórea Verde
Other common names: Red-billed Woodhoopoe
Taxonomy: Promerops purpureus J. F. Miller, 1784, India and Africa = Cape Province, South Africa.
Generally considered to form a superspecies with P. somaliensis and P. damarensis. All three sometimes treated as conspecific, which may be a more realistic treatment; more study needed. All races apparently intergrade in areas where boundaries meet; birds from W Uganda (ruwenzorae) and Natal (zuluensis) considered inseparable from marwitzi; erythrorhynchos is a synonym of nominate purpureus. Six subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- guineensis (Reichenow, 1902) - N Senegal and Mali to N Ghana, Nigeria, Chad and Central African Republic.
- senegalensis (Vieillot, 1822) - S Senegal and Gambia E to S Ghana.
- niloticus (Neumann, 1903) - Sudan, W Ethiopia and NE Zaire.
- guineensis (Reichenow, 1902) - N Senegal and Mali to N Ghana, Nigeria, Chad and Central African Republic.
- senegalensis (Vieillot, 1822) - S Senegal and Gambia E to S Ghana.
- niloticus (Neumann, 1903) - Sudan, W Ethiopia and NE Zaire.
- marwitzi (Reichenow, 1906) - E Uganda and Kenya S to C & E Natal; also extreme S Somalia (2 records).
- angolensis (Reichenow, 1902) - Angola and Namibia E to W Zambia and W Zimbabwe.
- purpureus (J. F. Miller, 1784) - Cape Province E to Transkei.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A pair performing the courtship display on a branch Locality Okavango Delta, North-West District, Botswana (ssp angolensis)
Alex García · Videoaves 2 January 2008 3 years ago 28 sec 4.7 -
A bird, while searching for food on a tree trunk, is expeled by a lizard defending its territory Locality Saly, Thiès Region, Senegal
Juan Sanabria 10 January 2008 2 years ago 14 sec 4.3 -
An adult bird extracting a caterpillar from a dead branch Locality Abuko Nature Reserve, Abuko, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp senegalensis)
Dave Jackson 20 November 2006 4 years ago 28 sec 4.2 -
A pair having a bath and preening Locality Okavango Delta, North-West District, Botswana (ssp angolensis)
Alex García · Videoaves 2 January 2008 3 years ago 23 sec 4.1 -
A bird feeding on a fruit Locality Bronx Zoo, New York City, New York, USA (United States)
Josep del Hoyo 29 June 2005 5 years ago 20 sec 4 -
A juvenile trying to eat something on the ground and being harassed by another bird Locality Kololi, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp senegalensis)
Eldert Groenewoud 25 October 2005 4 years ago 9 sec 3.9
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A bird entering the hole in the tree
Locality Kotu, Banjul, The Gambia
Piotr Jonczyk 20 January 2009 1 year ago 4.3 -
A bird in flight
Locality Mole National Park, Northern Region, Ghana (ssp guineensis)
Arthur Grosset 4 June 2011 29 weeks ago 3.7 -
A female perched on a sunshade at Satara Camp gardens
Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa (ssp purpureus)
Luis Mario Arce 11 August 2010 1 year ago 3.4 -
A perched bird.
Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa (ssp purpureus)
Fran Trabalon 28 October 2008 31 weeks ago 3.2 -
Feeding on tree trunk
Locality Akagera National Park, East Province, Rwanda
Jason Anderson 8 May 2010 1 year ago 3 -
Fajara Golf Club - Kotu
Locality The Gambia (ssp senegalensis)
kblach 21 January 2009 2 years ago 3
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Calls from a single bird Locality San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA (United States)
pcx 18 March 2010 30 weeks ago 4 -
Calls from a single bird Locality San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA (United States)
pcx 18 March 2010 30 weeks ago 4 -
Typical calls from a group Locality San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA (United States)
pcx 30 weeks ago 4 -
Excited calls Locality London Zoo, London, England, Great Britain
Stuart Fisher 7 February 2010 2 years ago 4 -
Calls of a bird flying around Locality London Zoo, London, England, Great Britain
(ssp unknown)
Stuart Fisher 2 years ago 4
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