Join us on this exciting journey of getting to know the Hamerkop, a truly fascinating bird.

Anyone seeing or hearing the name “Hamerkop”, or even its scientific Latin one of “Scopus umbretta”, could be forgiven for failing to associate it with a quite striking bird from within the group known as “Waders”. Even translating it from Afrikaans to English, it becomes “Hammerhead”. This also gives no clue as to what it might refer to. Childish playground insults, or even sharks, spring to mind. However, there are often no noisy children or open sea where the species occurs.

When confronted by the actual subject, however, all becomes clear. It is indeed a wading bird, dark brown in colour with a meaningful-looking long black beak. This, together with a strange backwards-pointing crest is remarkably reminiscent of the head of a hammer. The birds are normally seen in singles or pairs. However, they often form small flocks outside the breeding season.

The hamerkop’s distribution and habitat

It enjoys a wide distribution in sub-Saharan Africa including Madagascar. Hamerkops have a recognized West African sub-species, slightly smaller than the nominate race. The birds are officially listed as of “least concern”.

It tends to be crepuscular. This means the birds are most active at dawn and dusk. Also, hamerkops are sedentary as opposed to migratory. These are territorial, to a degree, though not as strongly as other species. Nests are huge for the size of the bird, being up to 4 or 5 feet across with access via a tunnel from the bottom. These nests are often built over water around a fork of a tree and can take up to 3 months to build.

One peculiar behavioural trait is that a pair may build several nests a year with most of them never being used for breeding. Some literature suggests this continuous nest building helps establish and maintain a strong pair bond. Abandoned nests are often taken over by a wide range of other wildlife. Expect to find anything from owls, snakes, and small mammals. Other small bird species build either into or onto the sides of the nest.

Getting to know the Hamerkops breeding habits

Actual breeding for the species can occur at any time of year but mostly in the period just before the rains. Up to half a dozen eggs are laid. Due to the solid nature of the nest, I have never seen a nestling.

However, when you Google “Hamerkop nestling seven days old” it will take you through several images. Before Hamerkops develop a crest they look, to me, almost a dead ringer for Black Browed Albatross chicks. I have photographed the latter in the Falkland Islands.

Were I you, I should resist the impulse to invade, or try to look in a nest even carefully and with parents absent. In the wild, Bushmen call this the Lightning Bird as you will supposedly die in a lightning strike if you rob a Hamerkop’s nest!! I would add here that for anyone who disturbs Wildlife Nest sites or breeding areas, I’m on the side of the Lightning.

If startled or disturbed it will fly off remarkably quietly for such a wingspan though often in only short hops of a few hundred yards so mark the spot well and re-approach carefully.

Know the Hamerkop’s Diet

It feeds opportunistically on a mix of fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles, shrimps and rodents. A firm favourite, though only available occasionally, are termites. The bird in the accompanying photos was rushing around feeding on termites at the time. I have always wondered if newly emerged flying termites contain some addictive drug. Many bird, animal and reptile species that are normally shy and difficult to approach become seemingly oblivious to human presence when feeding on them.

How the Hamerkop mates

Hamerkops seeking a prospective mate probably consider the head size and shape. It must look like that for a reason. It should play an important part in making pairing-off decisions. This means that maintaining those features in good order occupies a major role in your day’s activities.

Many bird species, especially parrots and owls, can twist their necks and get their beaks to almost any part of their plumage. This ability makes grooming easy.

However, if you are designed like a Hamerkop and many other long-beaked species, how do you get to groom those parts your long beak cannot reach? Nature’s answer, is to give the species what is known as a pectinate toe (look it up on Google). In effect, this kind of toe tends to be a bit longer than the others. It has a comblike end which enables the bird to maintain its coiffure in pristine condition. If you watch one of these birds for a while, you will see it often on one leg scratching away at its crest for all it’s worth.

The Hamerkop at Pamuzinda Safari Lodge

On slow-flowing rivers such as the Serui at Pamuzinda, and the Chimbo at Chengeta, where there are a number of these birds, they seem to prefer pool areas where they will sit for hours, Heronlike, waiting for some choice morsel to inadvertently wriggle its toes or swim by.

The best way to see them is by walking along the banks. Study each pool through binoculars as you approach to avoid alarming the birds. Due, no doubt, to their body colour they are in the habit of sitting against a muddy background or on dark, earthy-coloured rocks. In such niches, where they are well camouflaged, search these areas carefully. I have read that in some places they are very approachable and used to human presence. But, I have to say that I have never had the good fortune to find them so a fairly cautious approach is the order of the day.