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Phoeniculidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 645 words | Copyright

Phoeniculidae (wood-hoopoes, scimitarbills; class Aves, order Coraciiformes) A family of medium-sized, slender, black birds, which have a green or purple gloss to their plumage. Their bills are long, slender, and decurved, usually red or black, and they have long tails, in some species tipped white. Phoeniculus species (wood-hoopoes) are more gregarious and noisy than Rhinopomastus (scimitarbills). Members of the family are arboreal and found in most African forests and woods. They feed on insects, fruit, and seeds, and nest in tree holes. The two genera contain eight species, found in Africa. They are sometimes included in the Upupidae.

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