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Where to see

Where to see the European Roller in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the European Roller at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.

Coracias garrulus

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European Roller
Photo: (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the European Roller

Hosts have recorded the European Roller at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Kwandwe Private Game 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

  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger · Timbavati

    Self-driveGuided drives
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Mpumalanga

    Mpumalanga

    Sabi Sand

    Guided drives
    Stays in Mpumalanga
    Mpumalanga
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape
  • KwaZulu-Natal

    KwaZulu-Natal

    Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland

    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

KrugerMarloth

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

Sabi SandKwandweTimbavati

Species

Coracias garrulus

Records

1,625

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

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

Which parks and reserves are best for the European Roller in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the European Roller at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park 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 European Roller in South Africa?

The European Roller is most recorded in Mpumalanga (36% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (29% of records), Limpopo (23% of records), based on 1,625 iNaturalist observations. 40 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the European Roller on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the European Roller?

Sightings of the European Roller peak from Dec to Apr, based on 1,625 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.

What is the European Roller?

The European roller (Coracias garrulus) is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and Morocco.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the European Roller

Every stay on the European Roller 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