Tree hops

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Tree hops
Sichelhopf (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas)

Sichelhopf ( Rhinopomastus cyanomelas )

Systematics
Sub-stem : Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Row : Land vertebrates (Tetrapoda)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Hornbills and hops (Bucerotiformes)
Family : Tree hops
Scientific name
Phoeniculidae
Bonaparte , 1831

The tree hops or tree and sickle hops (Phoeniculidae) are a family from the order of the Bucerotiformes . It includes the two genera of resident birds of tropical Africa south of the Sahara , the tree hops and the sickle hops .

features

Tree hops are between 24 and 40 cm long. However, the long, downwardly curved bill and the long tail take up more than half of the length. In contrast to the hoopoes, they have a shiny metallic plumage , often black, blue, green or purple, and they lack the erect hood. There are white spots on the wings and tail. Tree hops have short legs and their feet have claws that are much longer than those of the hoopoes. The sexes hardly differ.

Way of life

The tree and sickle hops are birds of the African savannah and generally tree-dwellers who avoid the ground. They are more sociable than the hoopoe and can often be seen in small groups. When searching for food, they move jerkily up trunks and branches , like the European treecreeper, and then drop down again or fly to the next tree. When climbing, they rely on their tails, the feathers of which are tiered but not stiffened, like the woodpeckers . Like titmice , they look for thin branch ends hanging down their backs. They mainly eat insects and their larvae and eggs, more rarely buds and seeds.

They are cave breeders and lay two to five greenish or bluish eggs that are incubated by the female alone for 16 to 18 days. The young birds leave the nest after 27 to 30 days. During the breeding season, the rump gland of the tree hops forms a musky- smelling liquid. The smell also emanates from the nests.

Systematics

The family is related to the hoopoes and more distantly to the hornbills and ground hornbills . The tree hops have the long, curved beak with which they poke for insects and the short, rounded wings in common with the hoopoes.

Genera and species

literature

  • Gottfried Mauersberger: Urania animal kingdom, birds. Page 305, Urania-Verlag, 1991, ISBN 3-332-00491-3
  • Christopher Perrins: The Great Encyclopedia of Birds . Orbis-Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-572-00810-7

Web links

Commons : Tree hops  album with pictures, videos and audio files