Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
10 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
The black-backed puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a species of passerine bird in the Malaconotidae family.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records1,735 records
Curve from 1,735 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
KwaZulu-Natal and beyond
Provinces where Black-backed Puffback is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,735 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Black-backed Puffback
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Mbizane Escarpment Retreat
Mbombela
From R 3,800a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Pafuri Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Forellenhof Guest Farm
Wakkerstroom
From R 1,500a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Baobab Hill House by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 17,120a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Nkula Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 8,380a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
From R 31,500a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Pumula Lodge 4 Star Guesthouse Knysna
Hunter's Home, Knysna
From R 2,310a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
From R 6,800a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Wetlands Country House & Sheds
Wakkerstroom
From R 2,550a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
From R 2,170a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Wilge River Bush Camp
Bronkhorstspruit
From R 600a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Black-backed Puffback
Hosts have recorded the Black-backed Puffback at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
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
Goukamma · Garden Route · Keurbooms River
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeLimpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in LimpopoEastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeKwaZulu-Natal
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
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
Dryoscopus cubla
Records
1,735
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Black-backed Puffback on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Black-backed Puffback in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Black-backed Puffback at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, 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 Black-backed Puffback in South Africa?
The Black-backed Puffback is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Mpumalanga (26% of records), Limpopo (25% of records), based on 1,735 iNaturalist observations. 39 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Black-backed Puffback on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Black-backed Puffback?
The Black-backed Puffback 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; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; 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 Black-backed Puffback?
The black-backed puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a species of passerine bird in the Malaconotidae family. They are common to fairly common sedentary bushshrikes in various wooded habitats in Africa south of the equator. They restlessly move about singly, in pairs or family groups, and generally frequent tree canopies.