A brown hamerkop with a hammer-shaped head perched on a dead tree stump. — Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hamerkop

Scopus umbretta

A brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Hamerkop

Hamerkops live near lakes, rivers, marshes and ponds in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. A long, flat crest on the back of the head makes the head look like a hammer. Hamerkops wade in shallow water to hunt frogs and fish, and sometimes glide low over the water and dip down to grab a fish.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Scopus umbretta^[1]
Size: About 22 inches (56 cm) long.^[1]
Weight: About 14.5 to 15 ounces (415 to 430 g).^[1]
Lifespan: About 10 to 20 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Mostly frogs and fish.^[1]
Habitat: Lakes, rivers, marshes and seasonal ponds, often in savannas and woodlands.^[1]
Where it lives: Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.^[1]
Babies: 3 to 7 eggs, incubated for about 30 days. Chicks fly at about 50 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).^[2]

Fun facts

Hamerkops build the biggest nests of any bird in Africa.^[1]
A hamerkop nest can contain as many as 8,000 items and weigh over 50 pounds.^[1]
No matter how big the nest is, it has only one small entrance hole.^[1]
A hamerkop's long, flat crest makes its head look like a hammer.^[1]

Vocabulary

wade: To walk through shallow water.
crest: A tuft of feathers on top or at the back of a bird's head.
sub-Saharan Africa: The part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
incubate: To keep eggs warm so the babies inside can grow and hatch.
fledge: When a young bird grows its flight feathers and is ready to fly.

See it in person

Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · Old World AviarySee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Simmons Aviary and LagoonSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Oakland ZooOakland, California · African SavannaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] The Maryland Zoo. “Hamerkop.” https://www.marylandzoo.org/animal/hamerkop/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Scopus umbretta (Hamerkop).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697356/93610351 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicusA white ibis with a black head and neck that ancient Egyptians honored as a symbol of the god Thoth.African SpoonbillPlatalea albaA pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.Black Crowned CraneBalearica pavoninaA dark West African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers that roosts in trees and dances when it breeds.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.

Cattle EgretBubulcus ibisA small white heron that follows grazing animals to catch the insects they stir up, and has spread from Africa around the world.Chilean FlamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisA pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum (East African crowned crane: B. r. gibbericeps)An endangered African crane with a crown of stiff golden feathers, shown on the flag of Uganda. Also called the East African crowned crane.Hadada IbisBostrychia hagedashA gray-brown African ibis with shiny green-purple wings, named for its loud "haa-haa-haa-de-dah" call.Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorThe world's smallest flamingo, which filters tiny algae from salty lakes and gathers in flocks of tens of thousands.Madagascar Crested IbisLophotibis cristataA forest ibis found only on Madagascar, with a brown body, white wings and a shiny greenish-blue crest.Malagasy Sacred IbisThreskiornis bernieriAn endangered white ibis with a black head and pale blue eyes that lives along the coasts of western Madagascar and Aldabra.

Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitaA glossy black ibis with a bald red head, also called the waldrapp, that was once common in Europe and is now one of the world's rarest birds.Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajajaA bright pink wading bird of the Americas that sweeps its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water to catch food.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.Snowy EgretEgretta thulaAn all-white heron of the Americas with a black bill and bright yellow feet, famous for its lacy breeding plumes.Straw-Necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisAn Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.White StorkCiconia ciconiaA big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.White-Naped CraneGrus vipio (also called Antigone vipio)A tall gray-and-white crane of East Asian wetlands with a red face and pink legs, famous for its dancing.Yellow-Billed StorkMycteria ibisA tall white African stork with a bright yellow bill and red face that feels for fish and frogs in shallow water.