Where to see
Where to see the Forest Buzzard in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Forest Buzzard at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve.
Buteo trizonatus · Near Threatened
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Forest Buzzard
Hosts have recorded the Forest Buzzard at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve.
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.
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
IUCN Red List
Near Threatened
Species
Buteo trizonatus
Records
743
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Forest Buzzard on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Forest Buzzard in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Forest Buzzard at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Gondwana Game Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve and Keurbooms River 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 Forest Buzzard in South Africa?
The Forest Buzzard is most recorded in Western Cape (87% of records), Eastern Cape (7% of records), based on 743 iNaturalist observations. 24 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Forest Buzzard on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Forest Buzzard?
The Forest Buzzard 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; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Gondwana Game Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Forest Buzzard?
The Forest Buzzard (Buteo trizonatus) is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Forest Buzzard?
The forest buzzard (Buteo trizonatus), is a species of bird of prey found in Africa, though some authorities have placed it as a subspecies of another species, the mountain buzzard, Buto oreophilus. This is a resident breeding species in woodlands in southern and eastern South Africa.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Forest Buzzard
Every stay on the Forest Buzzard 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