Limpopo
Kruger · Timbavati · Welgevonden
Self-driveGuided drives
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Saddle-billed Stork in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Saddle-billed Stork at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve.
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis · Near Threatened
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Saddle-billed Stork
Hosts have recorded the Saddle-billed Stork at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Grootvadersbosch 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
- Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland · Ndumo
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Mpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaGuided drivesStays in Mpumalanga
Western Cape
Grootvadersbosch
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
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
IUCN Red List
Near Threatened
Species
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Records
1,654
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Saddle-billed Stork on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Saddle-billed Stork in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Saddle-billed Stork at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and iSimangaliso Wetland Park 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 Saddle-billed Stork in South Africa?
The Saddle-billed Stork is most recorded in Mpumalanga (55% of records), Limpopo (33% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (11% of records), based on 1,654 iNaturalist observations. 45 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Saddle-billed Stork on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Saddle-billed Stork?
The Saddle-billed Stork 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; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Saddle-billed Stork?
The Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Saddle-billed Stork?
The saddle-billed stork, or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa. Considered Endangered in South Africa.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Saddle-billed Stork
Every stay on the Saddle-billed Stork 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