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African Darter
Showing stays that recordAfrican Darter150+ stays list it on site or nearby
Species insights

Parks where hosts record the African Darter

Stays that give back

Across South Africa

Reliably seen · Birder friendly

Coot Club

Reliably seen · Birder friendly

Montusi Mountain Lodge

African Darter recorded here

Mdluli Safari Lodge

African Darter recorded here

The Orpen Kruger

African Darter recorded here

Hlosi Game Lodge

Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios

See places that give back
The Midlands

Planning a trip

When and where to find the African Darter

Hosts have recorded the African Darter at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Cederberg Wilderness Area.

How and when to see the African Darter

Best hours of the day

  • The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
  • Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.

Where to base yourself

  • Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Stays in KwaZulu-Natal
    KwaZulu-Natal
  • Self-driveGuided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

Species

Anhinga rufa

Records

3,754

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the African Darter on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the African Darter in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Darter at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

Where can you see the African Darter in South Africa?

The African Darter is most recorded in Western Cape (50% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (14% of records), Gauteng (11% of records), based on 3,754 iNaturalist observations. 152 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the African Darter on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the African Darter?

The African Darter is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the African Darter?

The African darter (Anhinga rufa), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.