Sightings have been confirmed in Gloucestershire, Devon, Cornwall, Kent, Essex, and Dorset. The hoopoe is an exotic-looking bird the size of a mistle thrush, with a pinkish-brown body, striking black and white wings, a black downcurved bill, and a pinkish-brown crest it raises when excited. Hoopoes do not typically breed in the UK but tend to appear briefly during springtime as they migrate northwards from Africa to Europe, with many overshooting and landing on the south coast of England.
The RSPB records an annual average 'UK passage' of 100 hoopoe birds. The Kent Ornithological Society reported on April 10, 2026, that the influx of hoopoes continued, with sightings at North Foreland (April 4), Bough Beech (April 5), Farringham (April 7), and St Nicolas at Wade (April 9). According to the Kent Ornithological Society, the hoopoes didn't stick around for long.
Excitingly, the influx of Hoopoes continued.
Further sightings of hoopoes were recorded across numerous other parts of the country, including one in Essex where a resident spotted their first ever hoopoe in their garden. In 2023, a pair of hoopoes nested and successfully raised young in Leicestershire and Rutland, marking the first confirmed UK breeding since 1996. The exact total number of hoopoe sightings reported across Britain in April 2026 has not been confirmed, and it is unclear what specific factors are causing the higher-than-usual influx.
It is also unknown whether there are any confirmed breeding attempts by hoopoes in the UK in 2026 or how long the hoopoes typically stay in each location before moving on.
After up to five birds were seen last week, Hoopoes showed up at four further locations this week: North Foreland (on April 4) Bough Beech (April 5), Farringham (April 7) and St Nicolas at Wade (on April 9).