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Thread: The Hoopoes of Cha-am

  1. #1
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    Default The Hoopoes of Cha-am

    I've recently started writing a blog in which I'm going to try and post some photos of birds along with detailed information about either the birds, the locations, the trips, the technique or the post processing.
    I'm hoping it's OK and suitable to post my first major entry below. I'd really appreciate any critique people have so that I can learn to write better articles.

    For example, does it flow OK, is it complete within itself and, most importantly, is it of any interest to you.

    Cheers,
    GS

    About the Hoopoe





    There is only one species of Hoopoe, but instead of that making it a rare or localised bird, it is surprisingly widespread around the world. The Wikipedia article has a map placing them across much of southern Asia and Africa, nesting a little further north. They can even be found in the south of the UK as a passage migrant in April-May. Here in Thailand, they can be found all over the country, but we found them surprisingly tough to spot for a long while.

    Its most distinctive feature is undoubtedly the bold crest that spans from above the eyes to behind the head and a smooth arc, the feathers tipped with black markers. The crest is normally flattened as shown on the left, leaving the bird with a distinctive shape along with its pleasant mix of black and white wings and a orangey upper body.


    When raised, two opposing lines of feathers stand up to create a crest that is clearly designed to be viewed from the side, as seen in the picture of the Hoopoe resting in grass below.


    The feathers have a distinctive cupped shape to them, which will provide them with some strength to withstand folding in a breeze. As you can see, this cupping gives a strange, empty look to the crest when viewed head-on.

    These two photos show details of the crest. Any small photos such as these can be clicked on to show a larger view.



    Finding Food




    The birds like to forage for insects on the floor and can often be seen near populated areas, appearing to enjoy the shortened grass and dusty areas humans create. This family of 5 Hoopoes was seen within the grounds of the Regent Chalet resort in Cha-am, feeding and pruning on a grassy area between the pool and some chalets.

    We spent over an hour watching the family in this area, usually keeping about 6m away from the birds. Towards the end of that time they seemed to become more used to us and were coming closer, which in turn enabled me to try to find better angles and distances for photography.


    In all that time, the Hoopoes almost always kept their crests down. The adults would raise their crests briefly sometimes; I understood this to be for signalling to others a warning or a 'come get some food' invitation. The crest would also be raised for a moment upon landing, perhaps as a reflex action or due to momentum – I also noticed the crest raised by a strong gust of wind.

    As mentioned, Hoopoes eat insects and small grubs. These are found predominantly by foraging in the soft ground using their long, sharp beaks, which have strong enough muscles to be opened whilst in the earth. The crest will normally be down during this time. Once a bug is caught, it may not be eaten straight away; at one point I saw a Hoopoe take the bug to a piece of concrete, place it down and then stab the insect repeatedly to kill it. If there are young around, the food may be passed on, which I'll show in a later post.




    The birds would also occasionally look for food in the trees, but this appeared to be much less common. This one was seen pecking into the top and sides of the broken-off branch.

    The Hoopoes also spent a lot of time pampering themselves and teaching their young how to get by on their own. These will be the topics for the next couple of blog posts. I will post a fully fledged Blog Post about once every fortnight, and a Portrait of the Week every week.

    _______________________________________________

    Sources:

    A Guide to the Birds of Thailand. Boongsong Lekagul and Philip D. Round.
    Wikipedia article
    RSPB Website

  2. #2
    Julie Kenward
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    Graeme, I think you are off to a great start! I want to remind you, though, that we generally only allow 1 photograph per thread. I'm going to leave this one as is because I do think the photos help back up the words and that is what this forum is for.

    I'm sure others will find this very helpful as your blog posts accumulate. If you ever need help with I.D. or behavioral aspects be sure to check in with John Chardine and the other moderators in the various Avian forums.

    I think your writing is very strong. You get to the point, elaborate that point well, and you kept my interest throughout the article. ;)

  3. #3
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    I was a bit unsure whether posting this followed the rules (knowing the 1 photo rule), but I felt this post was in the spirit of the rules. I won't be making a habit of it :)

    Thanks a lot for the comments and the idea of contacting others regarding behaviour, that could become really useful as I try to get more into the idea of journalism along with the photos.
    Cheers,
    GS.

  4. #4
    Julie Kenward
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    Yes, Grahame, I was unsure as well but feel fine leaving the whole article. Best of luck with the blog!

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    I found the article very interesting. Much that I didn't know about hoopoes (I thought the were African birds!). :o

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    I found this fascinating and enjoyed all of the wonderfully illustrative photos. Where can I find your blog? I'd like to see more.

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