Attract the Hamerkop

Hammerkop

This largish, all-brown bird with its strange, backwards-projecting chest and long black legs is unmistakable and well know as a bird of inland waterways.  Yet, in many urban areas close to rivers, the Hammerkop (Scopus umbretta) becomes a regular fishpond visitor, especially in the cooler months.  At the fishpond, it is mainly interested in frogs, but will certainly seize a fish if it can.  Often, in order to flush out its pray, it will walk quickly across floating lily leaves, and then suddenly turn around to see if anything has been disturbed.

The Hamerkop’s nest must be the larges of any bird in Africa.  A massive dome of sticks, reeds and sorted debris measuring some one and a half meters across and placed in the fork of a tree or on a rock near the water. 

Hamerkop in the garden

Any garden pond is likely to attract the Hamerkop if it consists of frogs or fish.  Favoured visit times are the early hours of the morning, and it will often herald its approach by calling in flight.  At other times, it might arrive silently and may spend much time in the pond with out being detected.