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Where to see

Where to see the Klaas's Cuckoo in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Klaas's Cuckoo at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Goukamma Nature Reserve.

Chrysococcyx klaas

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Klaas's Cuckoo
Photo: (c) Lip Kee, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Klaas's Cuckoo

Hosts have recorded the Klaas's Cuckoo at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Goukamma 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
  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger

    Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape
  • Mpumalanga

    Mpumalanga

    Sabi Sand

    Guided drives
    Stays in Mpumalanga
    Mpumalanga

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

KrugerCederberg Wilderness AreaGoukammaAnysbergGamkaberg

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

KwandweSabi Sand

Species

Chrysococcyx klaas

Records

944

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Klaas's Cuckoo on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Klaas's Cuckoo in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Klaas's Cuckoo at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve and Kwandwe Private Game 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 Klaas's Cuckoo in South Africa?

The Klaas's Cuckoo is most recorded in Western Cape (53% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (27% of records), Eastern Cape (6% of records), based on 944 iNaturalist observations. 86 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Klaas's Cuckoo on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Klaas's Cuckoo?

The Klaas's Cuckoo 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. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; 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. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the Klaas's Cuckoo?

The Klaas's cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae which is native to the wooded regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The species was named by French explorer François Le Vaillant after his Khoikhoi servant. Le Vaillant was the only colonial biologist to name some bird species after local people.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Klaas's Cuckoo

Every stay on the Klaas's Cuckoo 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