Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

Sign in to see your badges

Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

A squat, brown, ibis-like bird with a bushy-crested “hammer-head”; often found near wetlands or rivers. In flight, it has distinctively deep wingbeats and may occasionally soar very high, when the long neck separates it from raptors. It struts about in wetlands foraging for frogs, fish, and insects. It needs nearby large trees for building its giant (1.5-m-across) stick nest. Calls include a high-pitched “nyip” in flight and a distinctive, rollicking call ending in a purring rattle “kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik kyik-keeek-kreeeeek”.

POWERED BY MERLIN

Statistics

Sign in to see your stats

Weekly Bar Chart

Choose a region to view Weekly Bar Chart

Range Map

Large map

Media

Top video

View all