Here's a sneek peek at my latest project, "Hoopoes & Scimitarbills" that will probably be out around the end of May. The Eurasian Hoopoe is found throughout Eurasia and Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. In contrast, the African populations are sedentary all year. The species has been a vagrant in Alaska. Its diet is mostly composed of insects, although small reptiles, frogs and plant matter such as seeds and berries are sometimes taken as well. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The hoopoe has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight; these are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats. In what was long thought to be a defensive posture, hoopoes like to sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low against the ground and tilting their head up. They often fold their wings and preen halfway through. They also enjoy taking dust and sand baths. They were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, and were "depicted on the walls of tombs and temples". At the Old Kingdom, the hoopoe was used in the iconography as a symbolic code to indicate the child was the heir and successor of his father. They achieved a similar standing in Minoan Crete. In the Torah, Hoopoes were considered detestable creatures and not Kosher, but over time managed to win over the populace in 2008 becoming the National Bird of Israel. Hoopoes were seen as a symbol of virtue in Persia, a harbinger of war to the Vikings and a symbol of satanic magic to Monks of the Middle Ages.