uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
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Cape Rock Thrush
Monticola rupestris
The Cape rock thrush (Monticola rupestris) is a member of the Muscicapidae family of birds.
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
Records1,632 records
Curve from 1,632 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
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Cape Rock Thrush is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,632 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Cape Rock Thrush
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Wilge River Bush Camp
Bronkhorstspruit
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome
Gives back to Lessons in Conservation (LiC)
From R 600 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Gemsbok · Greater kudu
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 5,060 a night
Forellenhof Guest Farm
Wakkerstroom
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Wetlands Country House & Sheds
Wakkerstroom
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 2,550 a night
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 630 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Limietberg Nature Reserve
Limietberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 220 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Succulent Karoo biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 350 a night
Bloukrans Off-Grid Cabin
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Zvakanaka Farm
Louis Trichardt
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 650 a night
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
The Klein Karoo
Next stop
Dry mountains, ostriches, and Calitzdorp's port wines
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Cape Rock Thrush
Hosts have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Anysberg Nature 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
Cederberg Wilderness Area · Anysberg · Gamkaberg
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeKwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Giants Castle · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-NatalEastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
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
Monticola rupestris
Records
1,632
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Cape Rock Thrush on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Cape Rock Thrush in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and De Hoop Nature 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 Cape Rock Thrush in South Africa?
The Cape Rock Thrush is most recorded in Western Cape (56% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (21% of records), Eastern Cape (11% of records), based on 1,632 iNaturalist observations. 65 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Cape Rock Thrush?
The Cape Rock Thrush 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Cape Rock Thrush?
The Cape rock thrush (Monticola rupestris) is a member of the Muscicapidae family of birds. This rock thrush breeds in eastern and southern South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. It is a common endemic resident, non-migratory apart from seasonal altitudinal movements in some areas.