Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops

Photo of the Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops. Until the mid-80's, Hoopoe used to be a game bird, although its hunting was illegal in Crete, Greece. On those years the spring hunting season was open for some migrant birds, so local breeders had problem to reproduced in agricultural areas and only some possible breeders on remote places survived. From early 90's the population started to increase and now, on 2012 Hoopoe is a locally common breeder in wooded, agricultural and even semi-urban areas of Crete, Greece.