Hamerkop
HamerkopHamerkopHamerkopHamerkop

Hamerkop

Scopus umbretta

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Nairobi National Park
667 Verified records at Nairobi National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Hamerkop sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 667 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Nairobi National Park

African Sacred Ibis
LC

African Sacred Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis aethiopicus

70–80% · Very likely
Hadada
LC Endemic

Hadada

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bostrychia hagedash

70–80% · Very likely
Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

60–70% · Likely
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

60–70% · Likely
Black-headed Heron
LC

Black-headed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea melanocephala

50–60% · Likely
African Spoonbill
LC

African Spoonbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Platalea alba

50–60% · Likely
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

30–40% · Possible
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

20–30% · Possible
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

20–30% · Possible
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

10–20% · With luck
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

10–20% · With luck
White-Backed Night-Heron

White-Backed Night-Heron

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Gorsachius leuconotus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
50–60
Feb
50–60
Mar
50–60
Apr
60–70
May
50–60
Jun
40–50
Jul
50–60
Aug
60–70
Sep
50–60
Oct
50–60
Nov
50–60
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
70–80%
2 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
50–60%
3 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
50–60%
4 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
50–60%
5 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
6 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
7 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
40–50%
8 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
9 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
10 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
40–50%
11 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
12 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
40–50%
13 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
14 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
15 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
16 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
17 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
30–40%
18 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
19 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
30–40%
20 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
21 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
22 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
23 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
20–30%
24 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
25 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
20–30%
26 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
27 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
20–30%
28 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
29 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
30 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
31 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
32 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
33 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
34 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
10–20%
35 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
36 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
37 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
38 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
39 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
40 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
10–20%
41 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
42 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
43 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
44 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
5–10%
45 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
46 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
47 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
48 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
49 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
50 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%
51 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
52 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
53 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
54 Taï National Park 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Insufficient data
55 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
56 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
57 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Hamerkop in Nairobi National Park?

About 53% of wildlife watchers report a Hamerkop sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 667 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Hamerkop in Nairobi National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Hamerkop in Nairobi National Park in our monthly data.

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