Hamerkop

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Hamerkop at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

The Hamerkop is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Mpumalanga (25% of records), Limpopo (19% of records), based on 2,465 iNaturalist observations. 61 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Hamerkop on site or nearby.

The Hamerkop is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

The hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), is a medium-sized wading bird. It is the only living species in the genus Scopus and the family Scopidae. The shape of its head with a long bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, which has given this species its name.