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Where to see

Where to see the Malachite Kingfisher in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Malachite Kingfisher at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Anysberg Nature Reserve.

Corythornis cristatus

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Malachite Kingfisher
Photo: (c) Christiaan Viljoen, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Malachite Kingfisher

Hosts have recorded the Malachite Kingfisher at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Anysberg 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

    Goukamma · Anysberg · De Hoop

    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

KrugerGoukammaAnysbergDe HoopGrootvadersbosch

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

Corythornis cristatus

Records

2,680

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Malachite Kingfisher on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Malachite Kingfisher in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Malachite Kingfisher at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and De Hoop Nature 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 Malachite Kingfisher in South Africa?

The Malachite Kingfisher is most recorded in Western Cape (38% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Mpumalanga (12% of records), based on 2,680 iNaturalist observations. 74 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Malachite Kingfisher on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Malachite Kingfisher?

The Malachite Kingfisher 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; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the Malachite Kingfisher?

The malachite kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Malachite Kingfisher

Every stay on the Malachite Kingfisher page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.

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