Hamerkops live in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and sub-Saharan Africa. These waterbirds are named for their crested head and long bill, which resembles a hammer. Skilled at soaring and gliding, their large wingspan is three to four feet.
The life of a hamerkop
Hamerkops grow to around 20 inches long, two feet tall and weigh about a pound. They have a long lifespan in the wild, living up 20 years.
These carnivores eat worms, insects, frogs and small fish. They splash water and flap their wings to scare prey from their hiding places. They also eat on the move, snatching fish as they glide over water. They are usually found in pairs but can gather in flocks as large as 50.
A hamerkop’s nest is the largest of all birds in Africa: It can weigh up to 50 pounds, measure six to eight feet around and is strong enough to support an adult human. Other birds, snakes and bees live in the nest, even when hamerkops are present.
The nest is accessible only through a single hole that leads into a sheltered chamber where the female lays three to seven at a time eggs at a time, which hatch after about 30 days. Both parents feed the chicks. After 50 days, young hamerkops are ready to fly.
Adult hamerkops don’t face threats from predators but their eggs and chicks are very vulnerable to monitor lizards and snakes.
Hamerkops at the zoo
Located in the Vollum Aviary near the Africa area.
