What does the African Hoopoe eat?

The African Hoopoe's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Insectivore, primarily feeding on large insects and their larvae, as well as spiders and small vertebrates.

How it forages

Forages primarily on the ground, probing the soil with its long bill to extract insects, larvae, and pupae. It also gleans insects from vegetation and occasionally catches them in flight. Diet includes crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, and sometimes small lizards or frogs.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during the day, particularly in the morning and late afternoon.

Explore the African Hoopoe