Limpopo
Kruger
Self-drive
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Great Egret in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Great Egret at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Ardea alba
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Great Egret
Hosts have recorded the Great Egret at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve and iSimangaliso Wetland 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
- Limpopo
Western Cape
De Hoop · Keurbooms River
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
KwaZulu-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
Ardea alba
Records
1,150
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Great Egret on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Great Egret in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Great Egret at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Keurbooms River Nature Reserve. 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 Great Egret in South Africa?
The Great Egret is most recorded in Mpumalanga (33% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (31% of records), Limpopo (17% of records), based on 1,150 iNaturalist observations. 21 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Great Egret on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Great Egret?
The Great Egret 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. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; iSimangaliso Wetland Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Great Egret?
The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. It builds tree nests in colonies close to water.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Great Egret
Every stay on the Great Egret 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