Western Cape
Rocherpan · De Hoop · Gondwana
Self-driveGuided drivesMalaria-free
Stays in Western CapeWhere to see
Where to see the Black-crowned Night Heron in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Black-crowned Night Heron at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Phinda Private Game Reserve.
Nycticorax nycticorax
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Black-crowned Night Heron
Hosts have recorded the Black-crowned Night Heron at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Phinda Private Game Reserve.
Best hours of the day
- Dusk and after dark. Listen for calls; a torch at camp or a night drive works best.
- Daytime. Roosting, well hidden.
Where to base yourself
- Western Cape
Limpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
Phinda · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland
KwaZulu-NatalGuided drivesStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Species
Nycticorax nycticorax
Records
1,012
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Black-crowned Night Heron on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Black-crowned Night Heron in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Black-crowned Night Heron at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Phinda Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve 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-crowned Night Heron in South Africa?
The Black-crowned Night Heron is most recorded in Western Cape (58% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (11% of records), Mpumalanga (9% of records), based on 1,012 iNaturalist observations. 44 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Black-crowned Night Heron on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Black-crowned Night Heron?
The Black-crowned Night Heron 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; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Phinda Private Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Black-crowned Night Heron?
The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (where it is replaced by the closely related rufous night heron, with which it has hybridized in the area of contact).
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Black-crowned Night Heron
Every stay on the Black-crowned Night Heron 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