Formerly considered a single species, the hoopoe has been split into three separate species: the Eurasian hoopoe, Madagascan hoopoe and the African hoopoe (Upupa Africana). Like the cuckoo, the hoopoe's name is onomatopoeic, as it is named after its soft, far-carrying song poo-poo-poo. It can be distinguished from the European hoopoe by its colouring – the africana is a richer chestnut and lacks the white sub-terminal band on the primaries.
