09/11/2026
It looks like a jewel delivering breakfast to its chick—but can you guess the strange secret hidden inside a hoopoe nest?
SPOILER: This is the Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops. During breeding, the female and nestlings can produce a strong-smelling secretion from the uropygial gland. Far from being useless, it has antimicrobial properties and may help protect the nest. Meanwhile, the adult’s long, curved bill is perfect for carrying insects and larvae to hungry chicks.
Beauty outside. Chemistry inside.
What surprises you more—the elegant crest, the precise feeding, or the fact that this beautiful bird protects its nursery with smell?