Hamerkop

Associated with many aquatic habitats including estuarine, rivers, ponds, lakesides and irrigation systems and even occasionally recorded along rocky shorelines (Elliott et al. 2020). Requires trees for nesting and roosting (Elliott et al. 2020).

Sedentary but will move locally in response to rain. Does not appear to use the same nest for more than a few months (Elliott et al. 2020).

Mostly feeds on amphibians, both adults and tadpoles. Also known to take small fish and invertebrates (Elliott et al. 2020). Generally, wades in shallow water hunting but will also take prey from the surface of water during flight (Elliott et al. 2020).

Hamerkop builds one of the largest bird nests proportional to their body weight. The nest is large and comprised of sticks, with a central chamber, usually sited in fork of tree. A pair may construct multiple nests, some of which may never be used. A diversity of other animal species takes advantage of unoccupied nests as breeding sites or dens (e.g. Gula and Downs 2023).

Normally 3–6 eggs; incubation 28–32 days; chicks have grey down and broad, blunt bill; fledging 44–50 days; age of sexual maturity unknown. Breeding success variable, c. 0·3–0·9 chicks fledged per pair per year. Not usually considered a colonial nester but aggregations of nests reported from locations where species is abundant (Kaweesa et al. 2014).