Where to see
Where to see the Hartlaub's Gull in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Hartlaub's Gull at stays in or beside Kogelberg Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Hartlaub's Gull
Hosts have recorded the Hartlaub's Gull at stays in or beside Kogelberg Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National 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.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Records
4,393
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Hartlaub's Gull on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Hartlaub's Gull in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Hartlaub's Gull at stays in or beside Kogelberg Nature Reserve and Table Mountain 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 Hartlaub's Gull in South Africa?
The Hartlaub's Gull is most recorded in Western Cape (98% of records), based on 4,393 iNaturalist observations. 20 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Hartlaub's Gull on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Hartlaub's Gull?
The Hartlaub's Gull 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. Kogelberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Hartlaub's Gull?
The Hartlaub's gull or king gull, (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii) is a small gull, which is a non-migratory breeding resident endemic to the Atlantic Ocean coastline of South Africa and Namibia. Although it is predominantly coastal or estuarine, it is not a pelagic species, and is rarely seen at sea far from land.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Hartlaub's Gull
Every stay on the Hartlaub's Gull 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