The only family member of Scopidae is the Hamerkop, which has two subspecies. This waterbird is easy to spot because its feathers are all brown, and its head is distinctly shaped like a hammer.
This species likes to nest in a wide range of wetlands with trees. It mainly eats aquatic invertebrates like fish, shrimp, bugs, and small mammals. During the day, it hunts alone or with another bird.
The Hamerkop is known for its big nest made of sticks that sits on the fork of a tree. Both parents take care of the nest.
The Hamerkop lives in many shallow wetland areas. It likes to live near lakes, marshes, rice fields, fish ponds, and rocky shores with slow-moving water. It can also be found in savannas and forests.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
