Hamerkop

Uncommon card · No. 162568

The hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), also called the umbrette, is a medium-sized water bird with brown plumage. It is found in mainland Africa, Madagascar and Arabia, living in a wide variety of wetlands, including estuaries, lakesides, fish ponds, riverbanks, and rocky coasts. The shape of its head, with its long bill and crest at the back, gives this species its name, hamerkop being the Afrikaans word for hammerhead. Long considered to sit with the Ciconiiformes, the species and its family is now placed with the Pelecaniformes, its closest relatives thought to be the pelicans and the shoebill. It is the only living species in the genus Scopus and the family Scopidae. The hamerkop is a sedentary bird that often shows local movements. Usually hunting in shallow water, either by sight or touch, it feeds mostly on fish and amphibians; however, the species is adaptable and will take any prey it can. The species is renowned for its enormous nests, several of which it builds during the breeding season...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0