Sussex resident spots rare Hoopoe bird in garden

Dave Mines, of Mountbatten Drive, spotted the ‘impressive-looking’ bird in his neighbour’s garden while taking a break from a home renovation project.

After taking several photos and searching the internet, he realised it was a Eurasian Hoopoe – a colourful bird found across Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe.

Dave said it was ‘amazing’ to see ‘such an exotic and different-looking bird’ in an English garden.

“Neither me or my wife had seen anything like it before,” he said.

"It was quite an impressive looking bird with striking markings, a long crest on its head and a very long beak.

"Remarkably, it wasn’t at all spooked by anything around and seemed oblivious to us looking at it!”

The exotic bird is ‘unlike anything else you can see here in Sussex’, according to the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Charlotte Owen, the charity’s communications officer, said: “Hoopoes don’t live or breed in the UK but sometimes arrive here on their spring migration, when they accidentally overshoot their intended European destination.

"This makes them an exciting rarity for birders and wildlife enthusiasts, who now have an opportunity to see one of these flamboyant birds in the wild without travelling to France, Spain or further afield.

"As well as being rare, they are beautiful and distinctive birds with a very exotic appearance, especially when their impressive head crest is raised.

"They’re unlike anything else you can see here in Sussex, so it’s always exciting to spot one.”