Hamerkop - Kloof Conservancy BioGuide
Wingspan 90cm height approx. 56cm
Mass 500 gram
A very unique looking bird, with dull brown plumage and a distinctive anvil-shaped head and backward pointing crest.
These birds are compulsive nest builders, constructing three to five nests per year whether they are breeding or not.
It eats mainly the adults and tadpoles of platanna frogs, which have a very similar distribution to the Hamerkop, suggesting that it is dependent on them for food. It also eats other frogs, small fish and insects, using a variety of foraging techniques, such as wading through the water and stabbing prey, still-hunting at the water's edge or pouncing on prey from the air.
The nest is usually built by both sexes, and rarely a group of up to seven birds, with construction taking anything from 40-43 days to several months. It consists of a uniquely-shaped, large pile of material with an interior chamber and entrance low down on the side. At first, a supporting structure of sticks similar to an inverted pyramid is laid down. The walls are then built by interlocking twigs and finally the whole structure is covered with stalks, sticks, reeds, grass and twigs, while it often decorates it with a variety of both natural and man-made materials, including cardboard, plastic, leaves, bark, aloe stems and stones and wool. It is typically placed in a tree over or next to water.
The clutch consists of three to seven eggs
This is a very widely distributed but not common bird and can be found in south-western Arabia, Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa. It is locally common across southern Africa wherever there is water close by so it is scarce to absent in the arid western region.
It generally favours the shallow margins of lakes, pans, swamps, rivers, marshes, streams, seasonally flooded ponds and even small puddles in gravel roads.
Nest predators such as snakes and monitor lizards are the largest source of hamerkop predation. An stimated 50% of all eggs and 30-40% of chicks are lost to predation, but if an individual survives to adulthood, it has few predators.
They have been nesting in the swamp forest in the park for many years now. The nest has been rebuilt many times.
Its middle toenail has a rough comb-like edge (a pectinate toe), as do the herons (this toe is used to groom its feathers)
It soars with its neck stretched out like a stork or ibis, but during flapping flight, it coils its neck back so that it resembles a heron.
Features prominently in Xhosa and other folklore; regarded in awe and not molested.
There is a San painting of a Hamerkop in Zimbabwe.
Sound clip with permission from Robert’s Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa
Ububanzi bamphiko 90cm ukuphakama cishe 56cm
Isisindo 500 gram
Inyoni eyingqayizivele, enezimpaphe ezibuthuntu kanye nekhanda elisikhandulo ngokuqhamisayo nesiqhova esibheke emuva.
Ukuziphatha kukathekwane akufani nokwezinye izinyoni. Umumo owodwa ongajwayelekile yilowo wokuhlangana nezinyoni ezingafinyelela eshumini “kwimigidi” zakhe isondo noma indingilizi, zikhalela phezulu, ziphakamise iziqhova, zibhakuzise izimpiko. Okunye yilokhu “ukunonela okungamang” ukubelethana kodwa ngeke zibe omata futhi ngeke zihlangane.
Lezinyoni azinangcindezi ekwakheni izidleke, ngonyaka zakha ezintathu kuya kwezinhlanu izidleke noma zizalela noma cha.
Zidla kakhulu oshobishobi namaselesele akhulile bezinana, okunokwabelwa okufana kakhulu nokothekwane, okusho ukuthi zinokuthembela kuwona ngokudla. Abuye adle amanye amaxoxo, izinhlanzi ezincane nezinambuzane, zisebenzisa izinhlobo zobuch wephesha bokugubulunda, njengokubhoxoza phakathi emanzini bese zihlabe ezikuzingelayo, zibuye zizingele onqenqemeni lwamanze noma zigxumele ezikudlayo emoyeni.
Kulokoza kodwa esidlekeni (kumfazi munye) isidleke sivame ukwakhiwa okwesifazane nokwesilisa, kanti qabukela kungumhlambi ongafinyelela kuzinyoni ezisikhombisa, nokwakha okuthatha noma yini kusukela kuzinsuku ezingu 40-43 kuya ezinyangeni ezithize. Sakhiwa ngendlela ezimele, uboya obuntofontofo obukhulu nekamelo phakathi nendawo yokungena ohlangothini oluphansi ngezansi. Ekuqaleni, kunezingxenye ezisekelwe izinti okufana nento ephenduzelekiyo yabheka phansi. Izindonga zakhiwe ngamagatshana abambeneyo kuthi ekupheleni sonke isimo simbozwe isigaba, izinti, umhlanga, utshani kanye namagatsha, kungalokho kujwayeleke kuhlobiseke ngezinhlobo zombili zemvelo nezenziwe ngezandla, singabala amakhalibhodi, ophulasitiki, amaqabunga, amaxolo, amacena ezimpande kanye namatshe novolo. Indawo yoqobo emthini noma eduze namanzi. Isiqumbi samaqanda senziwe amathathu kuya kwasikhombisa.
Zinezabelo ezisabalele kakhulu kodwa izinyoni ezingandile futhi zingatholakala eNingizimu-Ntshonalanga ne-Arabia, Madagascar kanye nesub-Saharan Afrika. Endaweni ajwayeleke ngase ningizimu ne-Afrika lapho kumanzi aseduze ngaloko anobungcosane yokungabikho nokomisa kuzingxenye zentshonalanga.
Ujwayele ukuncamele imisikelo eshonayo yamachibi, ichitshana, amaxhaphozi, imifula, imingcele, kwinkasa ngesikhathi sezikhukhula ngisho namachibi amancane emigaqweni elibhuqu.
Okudla okusezidlekeni njengezinyoka, izibankwa usisuka esikhulukazi sothekwane. Cishe 50% wawowonke amaqanda kanye no 30-40% wamazinyane udliwa zilokazane, kodwa ngalinye elisindile laze lakhula, liba nezitha ezincane.
Bebeba nezidleke emaxhaphozini amahlathi esiqiwi iminyaka eminingi manje. Isidleke besibuye sakhiwe izikhathi eziningi.
Uzipho lozwani oluphakathi lunekamu elimagedle okubukhali njengoba kwenza izindwandwe (loluzwane ulusebenzisa ukulungisa izimpaphe) Lidlalisela nokunwebeka kwentamo ngaphandle njengonogolantethe noma unongqanga kodwa ngesikhathi ebhakuza lindiza, umgoqolo noma inkatha ingemuva lentamo ngaloko kufana nendwandwe. Umumo usobabala kwi Xhosa kanye nakweminye imilando; liqonda uvalo futhi alifundekeli 21.
Kunopende we San kathekwane eZimbabwe