Most spend the day in flocks of 5 to 12 birds, acrobatically climbing in trees or hanging underneath branches, sticking their bills into crevices in search of insects and other small arthropods.

[2][3] They are noisy and may take breaks from foraging to engage in a "rally": they "cackle"[2] or "chuckle"[3] together and rock back and forth, the wings half opened, the tail oscillating up and down.

[2] In adult Green Woodhoopoes (Phoeniculus purpureus), males exhibit a notable sexual dimorphism with bills that are 36% longer than those of females.

This characteristic is not attributed to sexual selection or reproductive roles, but rather to ecological separation, which minimizes foraging competition among the sexes.

Helpers are birds that, instead of breeding, help another pair defend the nest and feed the young.