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Where to see

Where to see the Cape Wagtail in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Cape Wagtail at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Anysberg Nature Reserve.

Motacilla capensis

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Cape Wagtail
Photo: (c) Pierre Tellier, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Pierre Tellier

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Cape Wagtail

Hosts have recorded the Cape Wagtail at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve 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

    Western Cape

    Cederberg Wilderness Area · Goukamma · Anysberg

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape
  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger

    Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo

Ways to look

Drive yourself

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

Where hosts record it

Cederberg Wilderness AreaGoukammaAnysbergGamkabergRocherpan

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

Kwandwe

Species

Motacilla capensis

Records

7,230

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

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

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

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Cape Wagtail at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Rocherpan 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 Wagtail in South Africa?

The Cape Wagtail is most recorded in Western Cape (62% of records), Eastern Cape (11% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (11% of records), based on 7,230 iNaturalist observations. 105 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Cape Wagtail on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Cape Wagtail?

The Cape Wagtail 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. Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; 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 Wagtail?

The Cape wagtail, also known as Wells's wagtail, (Motacilla capensis) is a small African passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which includes the wagtails, pipits and longclaws.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Cape Wagtail

Every stay on the Cape Wagtail 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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