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Where to see

Where to see the Red-eyed Dove in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Red-eyed Dove at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.

Streptopelia semitorquata

Red-eyed Dove
Photo: (c) Tommy Andriollo, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Red-eyed Dove

Hosts have recorded the Red-eyed Dove at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kruger 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.

Where to base yourself

  • Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape

Ways to look

Drive yourself

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

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

Species

Streptopelia semitorquata

Records

7,546

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Red-eyed Dove on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Red-eyed Dove in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Red-eyed Dove at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, 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 Red-eyed Dove in South Africa?

The Red-eyed Dove is most recorded in Western Cape (46% of records), Gauteng (24% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (15% of records), based on 7,546 iNaturalist observations. 95 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Red-eyed Dove on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Red-eyed Dove?

The Red-eyed Dove 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; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; 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 Red-eyed Dove?

The red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common, if not abundant, species in most habitats other than desert.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Red-eyed Dove

Every stay on the Red-eyed Dove 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