Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
8 places
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Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Caprimulgus rufigena
The rufous-cheeked nightjar (Caprimulgus rufigena) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae.
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
Records128 records
Curve from 128 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
Limpopo and beyond
Provinces where Rufous-cheeked Nightjar is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
128 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Pafuri Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Baobab Hill House by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 17,120a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Nkula Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 8,380a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
From R 31,500a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Makulu Birders Cottage at Wilds Uitvlugt
Rust de Winter
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
From R 1,200a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Wilge River Bush Camp
Bronkhorstspruit
From R 600a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
From R 1,760a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Tapfontein
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 250a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Anysberg Campsites
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 250a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Chameleon Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Leguaan Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Gecko Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,060a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Seps Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 930a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Agama Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,340a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar recorded here
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Hosts have recorded the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Best hours of the day
- Dusk and after dark. Listen for calls; a torch at camp or a night drive works best.
- Daytime. Roosting, well hidden.
Where to base yourself
Limpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in LimpopoWestern Cape
Anysberg
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern CapeNorth West
Madikwe
North WestStays in North West
Ways to look
Species
Caprimulgus rufigena
Records
128
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Madikwe Game 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 Rufous-cheeked Nightjar in South Africa?
The Rufous-cheeked Nightjar is most recorded in Limpopo (28% of records), Northern Cape (27% of records), North West (19% of records), based on 128 iNaturalist observations. 28 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar?
The Rufous-cheeked Nightjar 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; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Madikwe Game Reserve: Apr-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Rufous-cheeked Nightjar?
The rufous-cheeked nightjar (Caprimulgus rufigena) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is an intra-African migrant that breeds in the south of its range. It spends the non-breeding season in eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, southern Chad and Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, the D.R.C. and western Central African Republic.