WILDLIFE

Insert A gem of Italian birds If you happened to see an unusual looking, orange/pink bird with a stunning crest on its head on your last visit toItaly then you were probably lucky enough to have seen the marvellous Hoopoe bird, a stunning migratory visitor to Italy. The Hoopoe is really an unmistakeable bird, it has bright, warm orange plumage, it flies like a woodpecker and has a striking orange crest, black and white markings along with a long, elegant and pointed beak. The Hoopoe can usually be seen on lawns of Italian gardens, strutting comically, while hunting for worms and other small insects - it's favourite food. The Hoopoe is a relative of the bee-eaters, kingfishers and the woodpeckers and is a frequent summer visitor to the Mediterranean, migrating south to the tropics in winter. The Hoopoe's bright colours, unusual sweeping flight pattern and orange crest make it a striking visitor to the typical Italian garden. The Hoopoe's crest can be raised when the bird is alerted and makes for an unusual spectacle in Italian gardens during the spring and summer months. Hoopoes nest in holes in walls or in old woodpecker holes in trees etc. After taking over the hole it lines the nest in it's faeces, in order to ward off predators. It is also capable of literally spraying liquid faeces at any intruders to its nest. These traits earned the bird the label of being a "dirty bird" and it was even referred to as such in the New Testament. In fact the Hoopoe has appeared throughout the course of history and it even featured in ancient Greek mythology. Thereus, the son of Ares (the God of war) was apparently turned into a Hoopoe after he committed suicide. The Hoopoes call is what has given the bird its name, as it makes a Hoo - poo sound and the Hoopoes call symbolizes the arrival of spring in Italy. Curiously, even the Chinese regard the bird as being a messenger of springtime. In Islam the Hoopoe has close links with King Solomon, who reputedly spoke with animals and the French call ignorant, unintelligent people Hoopoes as they consider the bird to be slightly stupid. You can easily encourage the Hoopoe bird into your own Italian garden by avoiding the use of pesticides and by providing large expanses of organic wildflower meadow, in which they can search for food undetected. Small areas of short grass should also be provided as they require these for hunting worms etc. A natural, ecological and balanced Italian garden will provide all that this gem of the Italian garden requires! CONTACT ECOLOGICA HERE TO CREATE A BALANCED AND NATURAL ECOLOGICAL GARDEN