Hammerkop - at nest displaying (Scopus umbretta). Chobe, Botswana, Africa. Hammerkop?s nests are upto 1.5 to 2metres in depth, and are almost as wide. It takes a pair 3 to 6 weeks to build from grass, reeds, & sticks held together with mud, with a central chamber inside. They are structually solid, and can support the weight of a human. Other birds or bees often attach their nests to a Hammerkop?s nest and once abandoned they are often used by other birds, snakes & lizards as their home.