Western Cape
Rocherpan · Garden Route · Keurbooms River
Self-driveMalaria-free
Stays in Western CapeWhere to see
Where to see the African Swamphen in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the African Swamphen at stays in or beside Phinda Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.
Porphyrio madagascariensis
Planning a trip
When and where to find the African Swamphen
Hosts have recorded the African Swamphen at stays in or beside Phinda Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.
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
- Western Cape
KwaZulu-Natal
Phinda · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland
KwaZulu-NatalGuided drivesStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in Limpopo
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
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
Porphyrio madagascariensis
Records
1,304
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the African Swamphen on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the African Swamphen in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Swamphen at stays in or beside Phinda Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Garden Route National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland 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 Swamphen in South Africa?
The African Swamphen is most recorded in Western Cape (67% of records), Gauteng (14% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (8% of records), based on 1,304 iNaturalist observations. 23 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the African Swamphen on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the African Swamphen?
The African Swamphen 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. Phinda Private Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the African Swamphen?
African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) is a species of swamphen occurring in Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen, which it resembles, but with bronze green or green-blue back and scapulars.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the African Swamphen
Every stay on the African Swamphen page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay