Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta),
Hammerkop, Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber, or Anvilhead, the many names by which this bird is known. It is a medium-sized wading bird. The shape of its head and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name.
It is found in Africa, Madagascar to Arabia, in wetlands of a wide variety, including estuaries, lakesides, fish pond, riverbanks and rocky coasts in Tanzania.
The food is typical of long-legged wading birds, the most important is amphibians. They also eat fish, shrimp, insects and rodents. They walk in shallow water looking for prey, shuffling one foot at a time on the bottom or suddenly opening their wings to flush prey out of hiding.
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
Fantastic look of these birds. They are very cute, and you have captured them so well. 🙂
Thank you… a heady kind of gut…
I know at least I heard hammerhead fish but stork! They are so lovely… acting same… and their colours so beautiful too. I loved them. Thank you, love, nia
Thanks Nia… wont get me photoing sharks…
It certainly does have an odd shaped head – but it’s a cut little fella and very well camouflaged by it’s surroundings. These are great pics, it must be hard to get them to behave and not take off when they see you (not that I’m saying you’re scary or anything…)
That’s the problem… I scare the damn things off with my looks… that’s why I wear a face mask of Tom Cruise…lol
Hahahahaha!!! Love it 😀
Great photos. They last 3 look like they’re doing a synchronized dance or something.
They were quite active.. I think they were wondering what I was up too..
Wow! They really blend in with their surroundings!
That they do.. which makes them difficult to photo.. they see you long before you see them and then they’re off..
Nice work! You must have been dressed to blend right in also, so that you could sneak up on them…were you dressed like a hammerhead???
No.. that is my natural look.. i was born that way…
LOLOLOL….I’m surprised any of us can see you!
Lovely .. has nearly a head of a duck … very pretty bird, even if it doesn’t have any stunning colors. Doesn’t look that big .. the middle photo is my favorite. Great shots again.
Thank you.. not much to look at but a tad difficult to photograph..
Thanks for these, I haven’t seen these birds before, BD. Very boat-like when they hold their backs level as in the first four photo’s.
The hamerkop is a bit of a secretive bird and more often than not ..one frightens them into flight before you can capture them on camera…
Good posing!
Thanks…
What an unusually shaped little bird, such clear photos bulldog, very nice, amazing markings on its beak!
Thank you.. a good poser for a change…
I thought at first this was going to be about sharks (hammerhead). So we have birds with hammerheads too. I like the detail you added about how they open their wings suddenly to flush out their prey. Very smart of them.
Thank you… an unassuming bird really.. not drawing too much attention to himself..