What does the hoopoe eat, and how does it feed?

The hoopoe eats large insects and their larvae, taken mainly from the soil; the guide calls it a ground-feeding insectivore. Its long, slightly curved bill is the tool, used to probe the ground for insects and larvae below the surface. This explains the habitat the guide gives: open, sunny ground with short vegetation, and in Latvia sandy areas, open woodland, and sparsely vegetated ground, provided nest cavities are also available nearby. It also sets the hoopoe apart from the other probing feeders in the guide. The curlew probes soft ground and mud for worms and insects, the redshank picks and probes in soft mud and shallow water, and the lapwing takes earthworms and soil invertebrates from wet meadows and fields. The hoopoe works sunlit, sparsely vegetated ground instead.

Sources

• Hoopoe
• Curlews
• Redshanks
• Lapwings

Related questions

• /ask/how-do-you-recognise-a-hoopoe
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• /ask/when-can-you-see-a-hoopoe-in-latvia

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