Coraciiformes TAG: Hoopoes
There is no mistaking the Hoopoe for any other species of bird in the world, it is visually unique in form and coloration. Only one species (and nine subspecies) of Hoopoe exists according to the source currently in use for the Coraciiformes Taxon Advisory Group taxonomic listings, however there are more current sources that break the population into two or three species. Those that list two species add the Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata). Those that list three species have the Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), the African Hoopoe (Upupa africana), and the Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata). There is growing support among the various taxonomic databases for breaking the Madagascar Hoopoe into a unique species. To further complicate the taxonomy, some lists have broken the Hoopoes away from Coraciiformes entirely and assigned them to their own order (Upupiformes) along with Woodhoopoes.
