hoopoe

Other forms: hoopoes

A hoopoe is a distinctive bird with a fabulous crown of feathers on its head. Hoopoes are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The colorful hoopoe, with its spectacular crest and pinkish feathers marked with bold stripes, is a beautiful bird with a reputation for being smelly. Hoopoes are actually clean birds that keep their nests tidy, but they can also release a terrible stink to keep predators at bay. The name hoopoe is imitative, resembling the bird's soft cry, which has been described as sounding like "the noise of blowing gently over a bottle."