The hammerhead (Scopus umbretta) is an African water bird. It is the only species in the family of the Scopidae and one of the smaller representatives of the copepods. The hammer head owes its African name to the shape of its head; thanks to its long beak and backward-facing comb, it is reminiscent of a hammer. It is a resident bird and occurs in the wetlands of Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula. Here he hunts frogs and other small prey.
The hammerhead, with its length of 50 to 56 centimetres, is a medium-sized water bird. Females weigh on average 470 grams and males 530 grams. The hammerhead bears some resemblance to herons and storks, but the neck and legs are shorter. It has a flattened, dagger-shaped, black beak with a slightly curved beak tip. On the back of the head a striking comb protrudes horizontally backwards. This makes the head look like a hammer when the bird sticks out its neck, but usually it is retracted and the comb rests on its back. The plumage is the same in both sexes and is dark brown, with a purple iridescent glow on the back and lighter coloured on the throat. Thanks to its characteristic appearance, the hammerhead can hardly be confused with other birds.
Photographed in Blijdorp Zoo
We are Loek and Karin Lobel, and our passion is animal photography, both in the wild and in zoos.
We are loek en Karin Lobel and we love to take pictures in the wild but also in the Zoo...
Read more…