Violet Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus damarensis) [XC20483]
by Paul Noakes from Halali, Etosha, Namibia (group duetting)
Violet Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus damarensis) [XC58643]
by James Lidster from Erongo, Namibia, Namibia (alarm call, alarm calls near the nest)
Subspecies
Generally considered to form a superspecies with Green Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) and Black-billed Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) and all sometimes treated as conspecific, which may be a more realistic treatment; more study needed. Subspecies granti, geographically isolated by huge distance from nominate subspecies, sometimes given full specific rank, but this is currently considered inappropriate, particularly in light of confusion regarding taxonomic treatment of present species. Further research is required.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
granti (Ogilvie-Grant, 1901) - Southern Ethiopia and Kenya.
damarensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1901) - Western Angola and north-western Namibia.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet