LEAST CONCERN
HAMERKOP
SCOPUS UMBRETTA
The hamerkop is a unique bird known for its distinctive hammer-shaped head. Found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, it is recognized for its impressive nest-building abilities, often creating large, dome-shaped nests that can house multiple broods. The hamerkop's diet mainly consists of fish, crustaceans, and insects.
HABITAT
Hamerkop are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. They inhabit wetlands, including rivers, lakes, marshes, and reservoirs, as well as savannahs, forests, and semi-deserts, prefering areas with shallow, quiet water.
DIET
Hamerkop’s are carnivores, with their diet largely comprised of amphibians, especially frogs and tadpoles, and small fish. They also eat worms, insects and crustaceans such as shrimp.
BEHAVIOUR
Hamerkops build the largest, most complex nests of any bird, creating a domed structure up to 2 meters wide and weighing up to 50kg using thousands of twigs, mud, and debris in tree forks or cliffs.
THREATS
Hamerkops are Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Although classified as Least Concern, they are threatened by a deterioration in wetland water quality caused by the excessive use of pesticides.