Where to see
Where to see the Grey Crowned Crane in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Grey Crowned Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve and Kamberg Nature Reserve.
Balearica regulorum · Endangered
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Grey Crowned Crane
Hosts have recorded the Grey Crowned Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve and Kamberg 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.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Endangered
Species
Balearica regulorum
Records
780
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Grey Crowned Crane on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Grey Crowned Crane in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Grey Crowned Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve, Kamberg Nature Reserve and Royal Natal National Park. 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 Crowned Crane in South Africa?
The Grey Crowned Crane is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (54% of records), Eastern Cape (22% of records), Mpumalanga (14% of records), based on 780 iNaturalist observations. 17 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Grey Crowned Crane on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Grey Crowned Crane?
The Grey Crowned Crane 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Giants Castle Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kamberg Nature Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Royal Natal National Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Grey Crowned Crane?
The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Grey Crowned Crane?
The grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa, and is the national bird of Uganda.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Grey Crowned Crane
Every stay on the Grey Crowned Crane 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