#scopidae

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), EAT A TASTY FISH!!!, family Scopidae, order Pelicaniformes, Uganda

The taxonomic affinities of this bird have been greatly debated over the years, and now is believed to be in the Pelecaniformes.

This is the only bird in this family.

Their closest relative is the Shoebill.

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), family Scopidae (only extant member)

A hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) stands in the stream at Kruger National Park, South Africa

Bat Hawk vs Hamerkop

sources under cut

Bat Hawk

“Catches bats in flight and swallows them whole”

Bat Hawk will also capture swallows, swifts, and nightjars to supplement their diet of bats. Almost half of their hunts are successful!

The reason they eat on the wing is that they only really have around 30 minutes to hunt every day. This is also the theory as to why their mouths are so wide- bat hawks have the largest gape to body size ratio of any raptor, seeming almost like a nightjar instead.

Hamerkop

“yo they have orgies and are very gay about it???”

The hamerkop is also known as the hammerkop, hammerkopf, hammerhead, hammerhead stork, umbrette, umber bird, tufted umber, or anvilhead.

The “gay orgy” as noted above is a behavior known as “false mounting”. This happens between mated and unmated birds, and can happen between same sex birds, as well as reverse mounting, where the female mounts the male. Because no mating actually takes place during these events, its seen as a social behavior rather than a mating behavior.

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), family Scopidae, order Pelicaniformes, South Africa

The taxonomic affinities of this bird have been greatly debated over the years, and is now believed to be in the Pelecaniformes.

This is the only bird in this family.

Their closest relative is the Shoebill.