EUROPA – Endangered National Wildlife

The lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) is the orchid with the largest flower in Estonia and Europe. The flowers measure up to 10 cm and are shaped like shoes. Blooms from late May until early July. The lady’s slipper is pollinated by insects, the faint vanilla scent of the flowers attracts small insects. However, the flower is a trap for pollinators because the only way out of the shoe-shaped labellum is by climbing past the anthers and stigma. The plant reproduces both by seeds and vegetatively by rhizome. Usually grows on wooden meadows, forest edges and in thinner spruce and mixed forests. 

The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a bright and colourful bird about the size of a pigeon. It has a feather tuft on the top of its head which stands up when excited. The elegant bird may often be seen walking on the ground or sometimes even running short distances. It is also capable of climbing trees, but this can rarely be seen. Its flight is reminiscent of a large butterfly because of its undulating path and rapid wing flapping. The Eurasian hoopoe nests in hollows in trees, on the ground or in walls. It is afraid of men but not of man-made structures. The bird tries to reuse its nest for several years. They do not clean the nests which is why they tend to smell. The Eurasian hoopoe mainly eats insects, particularly beetles and their larvae.