The white-headed wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus bollei'') is a species of bird in the family

Phoeniculidae The wood hoopoes or scimitarbills are a small African family, Phoeniculidae, of near passerine birds. They live south of the Sahara Desert and are not migratory. While the family is now restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa, fossil evidence shows th ...

Etymology

The bird's scientific species name ''bollei'' honors Carl August Bolle (1821-1909), a German naturalist and collector.

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

include:Ligon, D. & Kirwan, G.M. (2018). White-headed Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus bollei). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
/ref> * ''Phoeniculus bollei jacksoni'' (Hartlaub, 1858) — Ruwenzori Mountains to

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and Kenya * ''Phoeniculus bollei bollei'' — from

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

to the Central African Republic * ''Phoeniculus bollei okuensis'' (Serle, 1949) — Cameroon ( Lake Oku)

Distribution

''Phoeniculus bollei'' can be found in

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

, Ghana,

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

, Kenya,

, Mali, Nigeria,

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Habitat

These birds inhabit from sea level up to , mainly in savannas and dry flowland and in montane primary forest, but they are also found in regenerating forests, as well as in deciduous woodlands.Oiseaux

Description

''Phoeniculus bollei'' can reach approximately a body length of . The female is smaller and has a much shorter bill. These birds show a combination of a white head, a slightly curved bright red beak and red legs and feet, quite different from other species of the family. The iridescent plumage is dark blue or violet-blu. The wings have a purple-copper luster.Terry Stevenson, John Fanshawe. Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. - Hardback. -London: T & A D Poyser, 2002. -

Biology

These birds are very gregarious, forming groups of 2 to 10 individuals. They apparently breed almost throughout year, in both wet and dry seasons. They are predominantly insectivorous, especially feeding on various arthropods (Larvae, beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, spiders, etc.) and invertebrates, that they search examining tree trunks. Sometimes they also feed on berries and seeds. In the east of its range in Kenya and Tanzania it nests only in mountain biotopes above 2000 m. The nests are located in a natural cavity in a dead or healthy tree, up to 40 meters above the ground.

References

white-headed wood hoopoe Birds of the African tropical rainforest white-headed wood hoopoe Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Coraciiformes-stub