Introducing the Birdorable Hamerkop

January 5, 2010 in New Birds and Waterbirds with 6 comments

The first new Birdorable bird of 2010 is this Hamerkop, a bird that lives in sub-Saharan Africa. They get their name from their hammer-shaped heads and they are also known as Hammerhead Stork or Anvilhead. We saw these birds on our trip to the Gambia a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love with these little fellows. They have such a cute head and the large bill makes it look like they're always smiling. Check out this gorgeous one sporting a nice stick for its nest.

Talking about nests, these birds are famous for them. Their huge nests, often built in the fork of a tree, can grow to over 5 feet (1.5 meters) across and made with over 10,000 sticks! That's one busy bird! A Hamerkop's nest is strong enough to support a man's weight. The birds like to decorate the outside of their nest with bright-colored objects that they find in the area. We saw one of these large nests, which you can see in the following picture.

If you like our Hamerkop check out our other African birds. Another favorite of ours from our trip to the Gambia was the Egyptian Plover.

Comments

Ashira on January 6, 2010 at 10:33 AM wrote:

EEHEE! ^____^ So CUTE!

Louise Warner on February 26, 2017 at 2:18 PM wrote:

how do u say that? is it ( HAM-UR- KUP ) or ( HUM-A-KOP? )

Andrew on September 25, 2018 at 9:07 PM wrote:

what the hamerkop birds do.

Spurwing Plover on April 12, 2020 at 5:04 AM wrote:

Some in Africa beleive they bring or cause Thunder their also called Hammer Head Stork

Spurwing Plover on February 2, 2022 at 8:04 AM wrote:

The Disney Channel Program had a Episode Ono's Egg Ono a Cattle Egret member of te Lion Guard ends up as Big Brother to young Hammer Kop named Ona for him

Spurwing Plover on May 26, 2022 at 7:19 AM wrote:

They build a huge Nest

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

T-Shirt Tuesday: Say's Phoebe

February 16, 2016

The Say's Phoebe is a medium-sized flycatcher found in western parts of North America. Most birds are migratory, though some birds in the southern part of the range are year-round residents. The Say's Phoebe is the northern-most breeding flycatcher in the New World. The bird is shown...

2013 Bonanza Bird #7

Introducing the Striated Caracara: A Raptor with Vulture-like Habits

July 7, 2013

We're adding one brand new bird species each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable at the end of July! Today's Bonanza bird is the Striated Caracara. The Striated Caracara is remarkable because it has the southern-most breeding population of any bird...

Busting a Bird Myth: Touching Baby Birds and Parental Abandonment

May 30, 2024

One of the most pervasive myths about birds is that they will abandon their babies if humans touch them. This belief often deters well-meaning individuals from assisting fledglings that appear to be in distress or have fallen from their nests. However, this myth is largely unfounded. Understanding the...

Busting a Bird Myth: Can Owls Rotate Their Heads All the Way Around?

April 8, 2024

As part of our continuing series on bird myths, today we unravel the truth behind a familiar claim: Owls Can Turn Their Heads 360 Degrees. While this statement stretches the truth by nearly 100 degrees, the reality is no less astonishing. Owls are indeed masters of neck...

Birdorable Blog