Israel names biblically banned Hoopoe national bird

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 5/29/08 | Jeffrey Heller

[NormsRevenge]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - It may not be kosher, but the Hoopoe was chosen Thursday as Israel's national bird.

The Hoopoe, or "Duchifat" in Hebrew, is listed in the Old Testament as unclean and forbidden food for Jews.

President Shimon Peres declared the pink, black and white-crested bird the winner of a competition timed to coincide with Israel's 60th anniversary. It beat out rivals such as the Yellow-vented Bulbul and the Palestine Sunbird.

The Book of Leviticus groups the Hoopoe with birds such as the eagle, vulture and pelican that are "abhorrent, not to be eaten."

Israel is a main crossroads for birds migrating between Europe and Africa. Some 155,000 Israelis cast ballots in the national bird vote.

[Military family member]

So who wants to eat the national bird?

[xJones]

beat out rivals such as the Yellow-vented Bulbul and the Palestine Sunbird.

Now that was tough competion!

[contemplator]

I couldn’t imagine eating a Bald Eagle. I wonder if it tastes like chicken...

[xJones]

Actually, there's more to the hoopoe than meets the eye. Hoopoe

"Their habitat is open cultivated ground with short grass or bare patches. They spend much time on the ground hunting insects and worms. That diet may have been among the reasons the Hoopoe is included on the Old Testament's list of unclean birds (see Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18). The Hoopoe is 25–29cm long, with a 44–48cm wingspan. This black, white and pink bird is quite unmistakable, especially in its erratic flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly. The crest is erectile, but is mostly kept closed. It walks on the ground like a starling.

The song is a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop", which gives rise to its English and scientific names.

The nest is in a hole in a tree or wall. Like those of its relatives the kingfishers, the nest tends to contain copious amounts of faeces and smell very foul as a protection against predators. Nesting hoopoes are capable of squirting fecal matter at intruders."

[fso301]

Looks like a kingfisher, cardinal, woodpecker, hummingbird hybrid.

[najida]

Like a bird version of “Trick My Ride”.

[najida]

Like a bird version of “Trick My Ride”.

[lonevoice]

Nesting hoopoes are capable of squirting fecal matter at intruders

Who knew? LOL

[Moose4]

So what’s the Palestinian national bird going to be? The vulture?

}:-)4

[xJones]

I couldn’t imagine eating a Bald Eagle. I wonder if it tastes like chicken...

No, they taste like a cross between a blue heron and an osprey.

[hosepipe]

Isreal needs a national bird like they need another enemy..

[contemplator]

Nesting hoopoes are capable of squirting fecal matter at intruders."

That pretty much debunks the urban legend that primates are the only animals who use their own fesces as a weapon.

[sr4402]

[NormsRevenge]

Very cool bird. It has it all going on, Thanks!

[reagan_fanatic]

Love that punk hairdo!

[NormsRevenge]

Palestinian Sunbird

---

Yellow-vented Bulbul

[xJones]

Well, let’s say I definitely wouldn’t want to go after a nesting pair of hoopoes.

[Oztrich Boy]

So who wants to eat the national bird?

That would be me.

"mmmmm... E-mew"

[Ezekiel]

That’s it? Great, it looks like it’s wearing a kaffiyeh.