The Hoopoe holds unusual standing in the region — it appears in the Quran as the bird dispatched by Solomon to spy on the Queen of Sheba, giving it a cultural weight that made it a natural choice for a conservation-themed series issued under Sultan Qaboos, whose personal interest in environmental protection drove Oman's wildlife programs well before such concerns were fashionable in Gulf states.
The Hoopoe holds unusual standing in the region — it appears in the Quran as the bird dispatched by Solomon to spy on the Queen of Sheba, giving it a cultural weight that made it a natural choice for a conservation-themed series issued under Sultan Qaboos, whose personal interest in environmental protection drove Oman's wildlife programs well before such concerns were fashionable in Gulf states.