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Where to see

Where to see the Brown Snake Eagle in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Brown Snake Eagle at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.

Circaetus cinereus

Brown Snake Eagle
Photo: no rights reserved

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Brown Snake Eagle

Hosts have recorded the Brown Snake Eagle at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.

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

  • Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Guided drives
    Stays in Mpumalanga
    Mpumalanga
  • 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

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

Circaetus cinereus

Records

1,702

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

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

Which parks and reserves are best for the Brown Snake Eagle in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Brown Snake Eagle at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Madikwe Game Reserve and Marakele National Park. 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 Brown Snake Eagle in South Africa?

The Brown Snake Eagle is most recorded in Mpumalanga (47% of records), Limpopo (27% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (19% of records), based on 1,702 iNaturalist observations. 37 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Brown Snake Eagle on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Brown Snake Eagle?

The Brown Snake Eagle 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; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; iSimangaliso Wetland Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the Brown Snake Eagle?

The brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in West, East and southern Africa.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Brown Snake Eagle

Every stay on the Brown Snake Eagle 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