Due to its unusual habits and relatively strange appearance, the stork-like Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) has become the subject of many taboos, making it one of the more eminent species, a fact which has almost certainly contributed to the ongoing protection of this species in the rural areas of Zimbabwe.

Hamerkops frequent suitable freshwater habitats, with a preference for quiet sections of rivers and streams where they often remain motionless for long periods, resting or scanning the water for frogs, tadpoles, and other aquatic prey, a habit which has led to the prominent common local belief that they are ‘vain’ birds that need only one eye with which to admire their own reflection.

These birds construct a particularly large stick and reed nest, normally situated in the fork of a tree or atop a boulder, often on a secluded riverbank. Construction may take many months and nests often contain unusual ‘bits and pieces’ such as bicycle tyres, plastic toys, string, rags, wire, building hardware, piping, tin foil, shoes and clothing, as well as bones and large feathers, all incorporated into the fabric. This habit of collecting various personal and household items is likened to the practice of a sorcerer gathering such items in order to cast a controlling spell, or for other nefarious purposes. This fact has not escaped the attention of local people, and during discussions I discovered that these items are indeed much sought after by traditional practitioners who may sometimes even destroy the nest to retrieve them. The hollow structure includes a single nesting chamber with only one downward facing entrance and are plastered internally with mud. However, despite this, it is commonly believed that these birds actually construct two chambers, with the additional one serving as a storehouse for bones, while multiple entrances enable a rapid escape, making the birds particularly difficult to catch. A person who is adept at evading others is thus likened to the Hamerkop.

I also recorded the Zezuru belief that, should a person place nesting material on the roof of a hut, a Hamerkop will soon discover it and proceed to strip the thatch. A person who collects and hoards ‘junk’ is likened to these birds. Another belief is that the act of nest disturbance may lead to madness and cause an ordinary person to become disoriented, following the bird on its wanderings. Anyone guilty of killing one of these birds would suffer a similar fate. In addition, the fact that other animals associated with the occult, such as snakes, may inhabit abandoned nests seems to have reinforced the belief that bad luck will befall anyone who dares interfere with the nest or birds.

As Hamerkops form a socially monogamous pair, the bones are sometimes used by Shona n’angas to form a potion to encourage fidelity in the husband of a female client, while Nambya people interviewed related that that a concoction made from this bird’s eggs will enable the recipient to become invisible.

Another common belief is that should one of these birds fly across your path, any travel plans for the day should be abandoned. However should one fly parallel to the intended route, this would indicate a safe journey ahead. A Hamerkop in flight over a homestead is said to signify a particularly bad omen, especially when calling, perhaps heralding the death of a close relative.

I found it surprising that despite the continued prominence of this unusual bird in contemporary folklore only one depiction of this bird is known in local San rock-art.

Local names for the Hamerkop in Zimbabwe:

Kondo – Shona (all dialects)
uThekwane – Ndebele/Kalanga
Sikabenge – Nambya
Masiyenuka – Venda/Sotho
Nyakhonzo – Shangaan
Lukonzo – baTonga

Broadly similar beliefs are shared throughout much of southern and Africa, with some slight variation within the basic common themes already mentioned. However, it appears that this trend is less uniform across the rest of the continent. With additional reference to the book Birds and People, I have attempted below to summarise some of these variations, along with other information that I did not encounter during Zimbabwean interviews.

A saying of the Lungu people of south-west Tanzania is that this species ‘builds a house but does not sleep in it’. This is in possible reference to their propensity for nest abandonment, even after a lengthy nest-building period. It is believed that the nest must pass a ‘test’ which involves a successful ‘first pass’ entrance at high speed. Upon failure, the nest is abandoned and another attempt must be made elsewhere.

Other prevalent beliefs from the Eastern Cape (South Africa) relate to the Hamerkop’s perceived role in heralding rainfall, possibly associated with active nest building in the period leading up to breeding in the rainy season. Indeed, in this same area a bird was found sacrificially killed and hung upside-down in a tree in order to appease the spirits for the procurement of rain during a period of drought. An association with lightning is also made both in the Eastern Cape and in northern Botswana, where the disturbance of a nest or bird would result in lightning strike on the perpetrator’s dwelling, directed by the calling or mere presence of one of these birds. It is interesting that I noted a broadly similar mixture of beliefs regarding either rainfall or lightning when dealing with other important species such as the Ground Hornbill, Bateleur Eagle, storks, and flamingos, which will be covered in future posts.

In some areas of Zambia, there appears to be little regard for this species, while the Mbeere of Kenya regard these birds as foolish and lazy and do not eat them simply due to their ‘unclean’ diet of frogs and tadpoles. However, at least amongst some of the neighbouring Kikuyu, these birds are still believed to be linked to sourcery.

Additional Reference:

Cocker, M & Tipling, D. (2013). Birds and People, Jonathan Cape, London, England.

For more information on this species visit:

https://ebird.org/species/hamerk1?siteLanguage=en_AU

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/hamerkop-scopus-umbretta