Hoopoe

HOOPOE (Upupa epops)
First in the "Birds of Israel" Series

The hoopoe, winner of the "Israel National Bird Elections" held by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, comes first in the series. With its majestic crown and appearance, the hoopoe is one of the common birds in Israel found in home gardens and lawns. While Its body is colored with shades of brown, its wings and tail stand out with their black and white stripes. The hoopoe measures about 30 cm in length, has a 45cm wingspan, approximately 90 gram weight and has a long, thin beak.

The hoopoe nests in Israel in hollows in rocks or in holes in tree trunks. The female lays 5 to 8 eggs and the young stay in the nest for about 25 days, reaching full maturity a year after hatching. Hoopoes feed on worms and insects.

The hoopoe, or "duchifat" in Hebrew, is mentioned several times in Jewish sources. Its exact identity has been questioned by our Sages and referred to in Hebrew as “tarnegol habar” (wild rooster) or "nagar tura" in Aramaic (carpenter of the mountain).

Design: Igal Gabay

Description:

Obverse: A hoopoe feeding its young in the bark of a tree by means of its long beak. Inscriptions in English and Hebrew: "Birds of Israel" and "Hoopoe", The Holy Land Mint logo and beneath it, the metal fineness, weight and mint year.

Common Reverse of the Series: The Land of Israel at the center of the world as seen from a satellite map. Around the border, the angles and directions of a compass, symbolizing the "inner compass" of birds that directs them to the Land of Israel.