Why is the Hoopoe the National Bird of Israel | History of Hoopoe Facts

 Hoopoe

An Ancient Bird:

Why is the Hoopoe the National Bird of Israel | History of Hoopoe Facts .  Hoopoe is an attractive, human-friendly bird. The hoopoe has a sharp, strong, and long beak that looks like a woodpecker which makes a hole in the tree. Hoopoe having special muscles in its mouth. The hoopoe has the capacity to move its beak even under the ground, for bringing the insects out. If the insect is big and large, the hoopoe through it on the ground with full force, separating its additional parts. Then it kicks the insects in the air, picks them with beak, and relishes the food.

Body Features:

Wings:

The hoopoe’s wings are larger and stronger than its body. That is why bit deceives a strong bird like falcon. The bird has a unique style of flying. It makes waves like a big butterfly, dives in the air and disappears.

Diet:

The hoopoe likes to remain in planes instead of sky, because it has to pick insects from the ground. It runs fast in the plains. The bird prefers to be alone, but sometimes its female accompanies it. Insects are the hoopoe’s favorite diet. It catches them with utmost quickness. If the insects are in the air, it stays alert to catch them. As soon as the bird feels some danger around, it flies away.

House:

The male and female hoopoes make nests in the hollow trees or at the mountain cliffs, which are not much high. The nest is made of twigs, grass and dry leaves. The hoopoes spread their refuse in the nests so that no other bird can dare occupy their homes. A couple lives in a nest for years.

Kids:

The female hoopoe lays 7 to 12 eggs after the nest is constructed. The eggs are hatched for 15 to 18 days. The baby hoopoes are given good attention and care. The parents feed them and raise them with great labor and pain. A baby hoopoe starts flying in almost 29 days. The parent hoopoes teach their babies to fly cope with the environments. 

Species of the Hoopoe:

Hoopoe is a very beautiful and precious bird. It is found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. In all three continents, there are nine species of this bird. The bird is found in Asia including Pakistan. European Hoopoe is called Eurasian Hoopoe. The African Hoopoe is different. By the way its 👑 lacks witness while the Hoopoe from Madagascar has a relative dark feather. The maximum length of this bird is nine to thirteen inches. The upper part color of this bird is Almonds.

Yet its tail and wings are black with white stripes on them. The crown is dark brown bearing black and white lines.

Green Hoopoe: 

Green Hoopoe has an interesting fact. In Africa green Hoopoe found with forty-four centimeter-long birds have dark green feathers and long violet tails live in a group of up to a dozen. These birds help each other a lot. Especially the eggs of a fellow Hoopoe are hatched. Helping group birds feed the newborn babies. These birds also help mother Hoopoe. They help them continually even they are grown 

into a young bird.

BLUE HOOPOE: 

The almost color is pink or radish-orange. but blue crested variants do not exist. Hoopoes range throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. They nest and reside in Israel, and migratory populations spend their winters in western India and throughout central and eastern Africa.                     

No-Go Areas:

A hoopoe does not give space to another birds at the place its chooses for its nest at that very location come under it. If another hoopoe aims to develop its nest in this area, a fight ensues within the two birds.

Sometimes during the fight, one of the hoopoe loses its eyes by the poking of the other’s beak.

Large Hoopoe:

In olden times, Giant Hoopoe was found in Saint Helena 

Island of the Pacific Ocean. It was huge in figure than the ordinary hoopoe but it could not fly. In 1500, the human beings came to the island, accompanying the cats. The cats built the birds their easy target. So that very species of hoopoes became extinct, leaving their fossils behind.

Benefit Bird:

The hoopoe that eats the insects which are harmful for the crops and orchards. In this it helps the human beings in preserving the grains and fruits. That is why many countries have banned the hunting of the hoopoes. Brainstorm with your friends about the other benefits the human gets from these birds.

Conflicts Signs:

Like many other birds, the hoopoe is considered a good omen in a country while other take it as a sign of bad luck. The Egyptians think that this bird is a symbol of kindness and contentment. In China, hoopoe is associated with good luck. But most of the Europe considers the bird as a mark of death, destruction, misfortune and war.

HOOPOE IN HISTORY:

 Once many Hoopoes were flying in search of food when they saw ALLAH's Apostle Hazrat Suleiman (AS)  riding a huge falcon. We know all the animals were made subservient to Hazrat Suleiman (AS) by the Having seen that ALLAH's prophet Hazrat Suleiman (AS) was getting disturbed under the scorching sun, the Hoopoes spread their feathers and took them under their shade. This made Hazrat Suleiman (AS) very happy. Hazrat Suleiman called king Hoopoe and ask what reward they wanted in return for this service. The bird said, "ALLAH's Messenger, please pray for us that gold crown is grown on our heads so that we look prominent among the fellow birds."                      

Hazrat Suleiman ( AS)prayed and a gold crown appeared on the head of all the Hoopoes. The Hoopoes were happy but other birds grew jealous. Every Hoopoe walks with pride in the jungle for having a gold crown on its head. But their joy was short-lived. After some time hunters hunt Hoopoe and removed its crown for money. king Hoopoe was so much worried about this situation. king Hoopoe went to Hazrat Suleiman (AS) for advice. The prophet again prayed upon which ALLAH Almighty changed the gold crown into a hairy crown.