Woodhoopoe

Taxobox
name = Woodhoopoes


image_caption = "Phoeniculus purpureus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Coraciiformes
familia = Phoeniculidae
familia_authority = Bonaparte, 1831
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision =
*"Phoeniculus"
*"Rhinopomastus"

The Woodhoopoes are a small African family of near passerine birds. These tropical species are not migratory.

The woodhoopoes are related to the kingfishers, rollers, and the Hoopoe, forming a clade with this last one according to Hackett "et al" (2008). [A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History. Shannon J. Hackett, "et al". "Science" 320, 1763 (2008).] They most resemble the true Hoopoe with their long curved bills, used for probing for insects, and short rounded wings.

However, they differ in that they have metallic plumage, often blue, green or purple, and lack an erectile crest. They are more gregarious than the Hoopoe, and can often be seen in small groupscite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Forshaw, Joseph|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 148-149|isbn= 1-85391-186-0] .

These are birds of open African woodland, savannah, or thornbrush, mainly arboreal in their habits. They are hole-nesters, laying two or three eggs.

pecies

There are eight species in two genera.

FAMILY: PHOENICULIDAE
* Genus: "Phoeniculus"
** Green Woodhoopoe, "Phoeniculus purpureus"
** Violet Woodhoopoe, "Phoeniculus damarensis"
** Black-billed Woodhoopoe, "Phoeniculus somaliensis"
** White-headed Woodhoopoe, "Phoeniculus bollei"
** Forest Woodhoopoe, "Phoeniculus castaneiceps"
* Genus: "Rhinopomastus"
** Black Scimitar-bill, "Rhinopomastus aterrimus"
** Common Scimitar-bill, "Rhinopomastus cyanomelas"
** Abyssinian Scimitar-bill, "Rhinopomastus minor"

References

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=96 Woodhoopoe videos] on the Internet Bird Collection