Cederberg Wilderness Area
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
9 places
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Karoo Chat
Emarginata schlegelii
The Karoo chat (Emarginata schlegelii) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records596 records
Curve from 596 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Karoo Chat is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
596 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Karoo Chat
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve
Montagu
From R 350a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
From R 1,200a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
From R 630a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
From R 350a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve
Western Cape
Price on request
Karoo Chat recorded here
Bloukrans Off-Grid Cabin
Montagu
From R 1,500a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
From R 1,760a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Cederberg - Kliphuis
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 180a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Gamkaberg Campsite
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 230a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
From R 1,750a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Bakoorvos & Silwervos Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
From R 1,750a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Algeria Cottages
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,990a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Stable Rooms
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 320a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Ou Kraal
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,600a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Xami Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Fossil Ridge Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Sweetthorn Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Tierkloof Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Rietdak Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,580a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Waenhuis Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 960a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Garskraal Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 2,310a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Uitkyk Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,510a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
Peerboom
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,490a night
Karoo Chat recorded here
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Karoo Chat
Hosts have recorded the Karoo Chat at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg 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
Species
Emarginata schlegelii
Records
596
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Karoo Chat on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Karoo Chat in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Karoo Chat at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and Swartberg 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 Karoo Chat in South Africa?
The Karoo Chat is most recorded in Western Cape (71% of records), Northern Cape (28% of records), based on 596 iNaturalist observations. 34 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Karoo Chat on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Karoo Chat?
The Karoo Chat 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; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Vrolijkheid 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 Karoo Chat?
The Karoo chat (Emarginata schlegelii) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in southwesternmost Angola, western Namibia and western South Africa. Its habitat is Karoo and desert scrub in the south, extending to the escarpment zone in the north.