Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae.
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
Records1,103 records
Curve from 1,103 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 Common Tern is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,103 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Common Tern
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
From R 4,640a night
Common Tern recorded here
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
From R 2,170a night
Common Tern recorded here
Kosi Forest Lodge
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Common Tern recorded here
Mbali Collection
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,590a night
Common Tern recorded here
Oudebosch Eco Cabins
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,730a night
Common Tern recorded here
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,340a night
Common Tern recorded here
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,370a night
Common Tern recorded here
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Common Tern recorded here
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Common Tern recorded here
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Common Tern recorded here
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,380a night
Common Tern recorded here
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,580a night
Common Tern recorded here
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,580a night
Common Tern recorded here
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
From R 1,410a night
Common Tern recorded here
Damara Trail (De Mond)
De Mond Nature Reserve
From R 3,690a night
Common Tern recorded here
Smitswinkel Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
From R 965a night
Common Tern recorded here
Overseers Mountain Cottage
Table Mountain National Park
From R 4,009a night
Common Tern recorded here
Slangkop Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
From R 770a night
Common Tern recorded here
Olifantsbos Guest House
Table Mountain National Park
From R 4,859a night
Common Tern recorded here
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
From R 457a night
Common Tern recorded here
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Common Tern recorded here
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
From R 287a night
Common Tern recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Common Tern recorded here
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Common Tern
Hosts have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park and Table Mountain National Park.
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 · Table Mountain · Kogelberg
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Eastern Cape
Addo Elephant · Tsitsikamma
Eastern CapeSelf-driveStays in Eastern CapeKwaZulu-Natal
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
Species
Sterna hirundo
Records
1,103
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Common Tern on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Common Tern in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park, Table Mountain National Park, Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Tsitsikamma National Park and De Mond 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 Common Tern in South Africa?
The Common Tern is most recorded in Western Cape (70% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (18% of records), Eastern Cape (12% of records), based on 1,103 iNaturalist observations. 29 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Common Tern on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Common Tern?
The Common Tern 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. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Kogelberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Common Tern?
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions.