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Where to see

Where to see the Grey-backed Cisticola in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Grey-backed Cisticola at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Anysberg Nature Reserve.

Cisticola subruficapilla

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Grey-backed Cisticola
Photo: (c) Wessel Pretorius, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Grey-backed Cisticola

Hosts have recorded the Grey-backed Cisticola 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

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

Cisticola subruficapilla

Records

1,475

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Grey-backed Cisticola on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Grey-backed Cisticola in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Grey-backed Cisticola 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 Grey-backed Cisticola in South Africa?

The Grey-backed Cisticola is most recorded in Western Cape (85% of records), Northern Cape (9% of records), Eastern Cape (6% of records), based on 1,475 iNaturalist observations. 70 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Grey-backed Cisticola on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Grey-backed Cisticola?

The Grey-backed Cisticola 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 Grey-backed Cisticola?

The grey-backed cisticola or red-headed cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) is a small passerine bird. This cisticola is a resident breeder in southernmost Angola, Namibia and western South Africa.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Grey-backed Cisticola

Every stay on the Grey-backed Cisticola 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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