A CALDICOT resident couldn’t believe his luck this week when he came across one of the rarer bird species to visit the region.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said he became very inquisitive on Monday when a bird he’d never seen before landed in his garden.
After posting photos on social media he was reliably informed by other residents of the town that the colourful and striking bird pecking around in his garden was a hoopoe – and he was correct to be confused by its visit.
Hoopoes are usually found across Africa, Asia and Europe, and around this time of year would be expected in Spain or northern parts of Africa.
The bird was also spotted by Terry Winter, who posted the bird on the Gwent Wildlife Spotting Facebook page. He said: "Shaking with excitement at seeing my first hoopoe in Portskewett this afternoon."
Ed Drewitt, a Gwent freelance naturalist, wildlife author, and learning consultant who often works with the Gwent Wildlife Trust, said: “Hoopoes are smelly birds, especially at the nest – which is usually a hole in a tree.
“In the nest their poo isn’t removed and helps deter would-be predators.
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“In the UK they generally drop by when on migration during the spring or autumn; they are a more common breeding bird across mainland Europe.
“It’s name comes from its call ‘poo-poo-poo’.
“It’s not the best time of year to be a hoopoe in the UK. Their diet of insects and other invertebrates means that survival depends on the current mild weather. A long spell of cold might see the bird perish or continue south warmer climes.”
While it is rare, there have been previous sightings of the birds in Monmouthshire, and the bird is also the logo of Filton Golf Club in Bristol.
The pictures which were published online caused a huge amount of excitement on the Caldicot Community Page on Facebook.
One person said: “Wow, I’ve never seen one of those before – lovely!”
Another added: “Could this little fella become more famous than the notorious town centre pigeons?”
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