Madagascar Hoopoe

Madagascar Hoopoe

Upupa marginata

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Antananarivo

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

223 Verified sightings at Antananarivo
427 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Madagascar Hoopoe

The Madagascar hoopoe (Upupa marginata) is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. It was previously considered a subspecies (Upupa epops marginata) of the hoopoe, but was split due to its vocalisations and small differences in plumage. Some taxonomists still consider all three species conspecific. Some authorities also keep the African and Eurasian hoopoe together, but split the Madagascar hoopoe. It is endemic to Madagascar, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is a common bird and the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers its conservation status to be of least concern.

The adult Madagascar hoopoe is about 32 cm (12.6 in) long and weighs 57 to 91 g (2.0 to 3.2 oz). It has a long, decurved bill, and cinnamon-coloured plumage, the wings being boldly barred in black and white. The tail is black and a long, cinnamon crest with black-tipped feathers can be raised when the bird is alarmed. The wings are broad and rounded; the characteristic flight consists of a few beats after which the wings are folded momentarily and the bird glides, before resuming flapping. The female is slightly duller in colour than the male,... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:34

Madagascar · 2025

© Frank Lambert · XC1065563 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:34

Madagascar · 2012

© Peter Boesman · XC763011 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:59

Madagascar · 2020

© Ken Behrens · XC604349 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~60%
2 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~60%
3 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Antananarivo 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Madagascar Hoopoe in Antananarivo?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Hoopoe sighting in Antananarivo on a given day, based on 223 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 69 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Madagascar Hoopoe in Antananarivo?

April and May

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Hoopoe in Antananarivo on a given day, against about 10% in March, June and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Madagascar Hoopoe?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Madagascar Hoopoe sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Where else can you see a Madagascar Hoopoe?

Only Antananarivo, in our data

Antananarivo is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Madagascar Hoopoe sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Where does the Madagascar Hoopoe sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Madagascar Hoopoe is recorded against all the birds logged in Antananarivo (223 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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