Hamerkop
Physical features
Hamerkops have a long, stout bill. Their upper mandible curves over the lower mandible to form a hook.
As a water bird, they have long legs with 3 slightly webbed front toes.
Their plumage is dull brown in color.
The crest gives its head the shape of an anvil.
The tail is short in length, while the wings are rather long and broad.
Their body reaches a length of 14 inches inches.
Range and Habitat
Range – Sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat – swamps and shallow water areas
Diet: Carnivore
Wild – Frogs, small fish, and aquatic invertebrates
Zoo – Bird of prey diet, silversides, mealworms, and crickets
Lifespan
Wild – Unknown
Zoo – 15 years
Reproduction
Hamerkops nest in trees and cliff ledges that overhang water.
Both sexes help build a dome-shaped nest out of sticks, reeds, grasses. The inner cavity is lined with mud, and dead weeds held together with mud. The nest can take up to 6 weeks to complete and may consist of thousands of items. It can weigh 200 pounds and may be 6 feet tall and 6 feet across. The opening to the nest cavity is located on the side
A clutch consists of 3-7 eggs.
Incubation: 30 days; Both parents take part in incubation.
Fledging: 50 days
Conservation: Least Concern
Major threats: Few at this time
Range is increasing due to man-made extensions of their aquatic habitat.
Interpretive Information
Mature hamerkops live solitary or in pairs.
They exhibit a harsh, high-pitched series of vocalizations, especially before rain. For the most part, they are silent when solitary, but vocal in groups and during courtship behavior.
Hamerkops are named for the hammer-like shape of their heads. The name “hamerkop” is derived from the Dutch and German words for “head”: “kop” and “kopf,” respectively.
Topping out at about 16 inches tall, hamerkops are the world’s smallest storks.
References
BirdLife International. (2004). Scopus umbretta. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Web site: http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/49615/summ.
Zimmerman, D. A., Turner, D. A., & Pearson, D. J. (1996). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania (pp. 322). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Honolulu Zoo (2004). Hammerkop. Retrieved November 11, 2004, from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/hammerkop.htm
Oakland Zoo (2003). Hammerkop. Retrieved November 11, 2004, from: http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azhammer.html
San Francisco Zoo (2004). Hammerkop. Retrieved November 11, 2004, from: http://www.sfzoo.org/cgi-bin/animals.py?ID=88
Updated March 2008