# Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/hamerkop  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), also called the Hammerkop, is a bird in the family Scopidae and the order Pelecaniformes. It is a small, terrestrial wetland bird with an adult body mass of 472 g, classed as an omnivore with a carnivore trophic level. The hamerkop lays 1 clutch per year of 4.4 eggs, which are incubated for 30 days. It is partially migratory, has a geographic range of 19,880,000 km², and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 423 g – 472 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland |
| Egg incubation | 30 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4.2 – 4.4 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Migration | Partial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Pelecaniformes
- family: Scopidae
- genus: Scopus
- species: *Scopus umbretta* J. F. Gmelin, 1789

Synonyms: *Scopus umbretta bannermanni*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a hamerkop?

The hamerkop is a bird in the family Scopidae, within the order Pelecaniformes.

### How heavy is a hamerkop?

An adult Hamerkop has a body mass of 472 g, which places it in the small size class (10 g to 1 kg).

### What does a hamerkop eat?

The hamerkop is classed as an omnivore, with a trophic level of carnivore.

### What habitat does the hamerkop live in?

The hamerkop lives in wetland habitat and has a terrestrial lifestyle.

### How many eggs does a hamerkop lay?

The hamerkop lays 4.4 eggs per clutch and 1 clutch per year, with an incubation period of 30 days.

### Is the hamerkop endangered?

No. The hamerkop is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### Does the hamerkop migrate?

The hamerkop is partially migratory.

### Who named the hamerkop?

The hamerkop, Scopus umbretta, was named by J. F. Gmelin, 1789.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/hamerkop