Where to see
Where to see the Karoo Chat in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Karoo Chat at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg Nature Reserve.
Emarginata schlegelii
Planning 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.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Karoo Chat
Every stay on the Karoo Chat 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