ABSTRACT
Family Scopidae is a monotypic family, endemic to the Afrotropical Region and widespread in Kenya. Hamerkop spreads S of 15°N. In Kenya, Hamerkop occurs singly or in pairs on all types of still or slow-moving waters, in environments ranging from forest to semidesert. It is predictably more frequent in wetter country, however: range is 64% within 500+ mm rainfall areas, and the bird is scarce at L Turkana. Breeding squares are 77% above 1000 m and virtually absent from the apparently suitable coastal high rainfall area and the Tana R. Absence from the latter may reflect infrequency of observers in some areas, but the Hamerkop's large and conspicuous nest ought to ensure good coverage of breeding in the better known coastal lowlands, so that this apparent absence of nesting may be real. If this is true, then most birds in the coastal lowlands are non-breeding visitors and the species is more mobile than is commonly realised.
