Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
18 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Secretarybird
Sagittarius serpentariusEndangered
The secretarybird or secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey.
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
Records1,996 records
Curve from 1,996 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
Eastern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Secretarybird is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,993 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Secretarybird
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Baobab Hill House by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Makalani palm · Ana tree
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 17,120 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Pafuri Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Makalani palm · Ana tree
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Nkula Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Makalani palm · Ana tree
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 8,380 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Leopard · Spotted hyena
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Gemsbok · Greater kudu
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 5,060 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Forellenhof Guest Farm
Wakkerstroom
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Singita Sweni Lodge
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Secretarybird recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Singita Lebombo Lodge
Kruger National Park
Secretarybird recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Wetlands Country House & Sheds
Wakkerstroom
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 2,550 a night
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
Secretarybird recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,180 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Secretarybird recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Succulent Karoo biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 350 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Secretarybird recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Secretarybird
Hosts have recorded the Secretarybird at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
Best hours of the day
- Late morning to mid-afternoon. Raptors soar once the sun raises thermals.
- Early morning. Often perched while the air warms.
Where to base yourself
Limpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in LimpopoEastern Cape
Kwandwe · Amakhala · Addo Elephant
Eastern CapeSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeWestern Cape
De Hoop · Grootvadersbosch · Gondwana
Western CapeSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern 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
Endangered
Species
Sagittarius serpentarius
Records
1,993
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Secretarybird on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Secretarybird in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Secretarybird at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Amakhala 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 Secretarybird in South Africa?
The Secretarybird is most recorded in Eastern Cape (18% of records), Mpumalanga (17% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (16% of records), based on 1,993 iNaturalist observations. 63 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Secretarybird on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Secretarybird?
The Secretarybird 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; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Secretarybird?
The Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Secretarybird?
The secretarybird or secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779.