Hamerkop

Common resident. A small dull-brown waterbird with a large, backward-projecting crest and heavy, conical black bill. Sexes are alike, immature similar. In flight sometimes utters a nasal ‘wek… wek… wek…’; at rest may repeatedly utter a wavering, high-pitched ‘wek-wek-warrrrk’. Occurs singly, but sometimes in groups when feeding, at almost any freshwater locality and at estuaries. Feeds in the shallows, shuffling its feet to disturb frogs and fish. At deeper waters of large lakes may hover briefly before swooping down to seize fish near the surface. Builds huge, domed nests in waterside trees or on cliffs.