قَالَ الْجَاحِظُ فِي وَصْفِ الْهُدْهُدِ:
وَهُوَ وَفَاءٌ حَفُوظٌ وَدُودٌ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا غَابَتْ أُنْثَاهُ، فَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ وَلَمْ يَشْرَبْ، وَلَمْ يَشْتَغِلْ بِطَلَبِ طَعَامٍ وَلَا غَيْرِهِ، وَلَا يَقْطَعُ الصِّيَاحَ حَتَّى تَعُودَ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ حَدَثَ حَادِثٌ أَعْدَمَهُ إِيَّاهَا، لَمْ يَسْفِدْ بَعْدَهَا أُنْثَى أَبَدًا، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ صَائِحًا عَلَيْهَا مَا عَاشَ، وَلَمْ يَشْبَعْ بَعْدَهَا أَبَدًا بِطَعَامٍ، بَلْ يَنَالُ مِنْهُ مَا يُمْسِكُ رَمَقَهُ، إِلَى أَنْ يُشْرِفَ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَنَالُ مِنْهُ يَسِيرً .
Al-Jahiz said in his description of the hoopoe:
“He is loyal, protective, and affectionate. When his mate is absent, he neither eats nor drinks, nor busies himself with seeking food or anything else. He does not cease his calling until she returns to him. And if an accident deprives him of her, he never mates with another female for the rest of his life. He continues to call for her as long as he lives, never again taking full satisfaction from food — he eats only enough to keep himself alive until death draws near, and then he partakes of a little.”
