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Where to see

Where to see the Bateleur in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Bateleur at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

Terathopius ecaudatus · Endangered

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Bateleur
Photo: (c) Zach Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Bateleur

Hosts have recorded the Bateleur at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

Best hours of the day

  • Late morning to mid-afternoon. Raptors soar once the sun raises thermals.
  • Early morning. Often perched while the air warms.

Where to base yourself

  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger · Timbavati

    Self-driveGuided drives
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Northern Cape

    Northern Cape

    Kgalagadi

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Northern Cape
    Northern Cape
  • Mpumalanga

    Mpumalanga

    Sabi Sand

    Guided drives
    Stays in Mpumalanga
    Mpumalanga
  • KwaZulu-Natal

    KwaZulu-Natal

    Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland · Ithala

    Stays in KwaZulu-Natal
    KwaZulu-Natal

Ways to look

Drive yourself

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

Where hosts record it

KrugerKgalagadi

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

Sabi SandTimbavati

IUCN Red List

Endangered

Species

Terathopius ecaudatus

Records

2,285

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

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

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

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Bateleur at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve 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 Bateleur in South Africa?

The Bateleur is most recorded in Mpumalanga (57% of records), Limpopo (26% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (9% of records), based on 2,285 iNaturalist observations. 46 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Bateleur on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Bateleur?

The Bateleur 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; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the conservation status of the Bateleur?

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

What is the Bateleur?

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. Its closest relatives are the snake eagles. It is the only member of the genus Terathopius and may be the origin of the "Zimbabwe Bird", the national emblem of Zimbabwe. It is endemic to Africa and small parts of Arabia. " Bateleur " is French for "street performer".

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Bateleur

Every stay on the Bateleur page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.

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