uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
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Sickle-winged Chat
Emarginata sinuata
The sickle-winged chat or sicklewing chat (Emarginata sinuata) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae endemic to southern Africa.
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
Records237 records
Curve from 237 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
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Sickle-winged Chat is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
236 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Sickle-winged Chat
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
From R 1,760a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
From R 1,200a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
From R 630a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
From R 600a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Gamkaberg Campsite
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 230a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Stable Rooms
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 320a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Ou Kraal
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,600a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Xami Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Fossil Ridge Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Sweetthorn Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Tierkloof Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Tapfontein
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 250a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Anysberg Campsites
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 250a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Chameleon Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Leguaan Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Gecko Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,060a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Seps Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 930a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
Agama Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,340a night
Sickle-winged Chat recorded here
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Sickle-winged Chat
Hosts have recorded the Sickle-winged Chat at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg 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
Anysberg · Gamkaberg · Bontebok
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeKwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Giants Castle
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Eastern Cape
Addo Elephant · Kwandwe · Camdeboo
Eastern CapeSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Northern Cape
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld · Tankwa Karoo · Augrabies Falls
Northern CapeSelf-driveStays 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
Species
Emarginata sinuata
Records
236
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Sickle-winged Chat on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Sickle-winged Chat in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Sickle-winged Chat at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier 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 Sickle-winged Chat in South Africa?
The Sickle-winged Chat is most recorded in Western Cape (40% of records), Eastern Cape (25% of records), Northern Cape (23% of records), based on 236 iNaturalist observations. 54 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Sickle-winged Chat on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Sickle-winged Chat?
The Sickle-winged Chat 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Sickle-winged Chat?
The sickle-winged chat or sicklewing chat (Emarginata sinuata) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae endemic to southern Africa. It is a common resident breeder in South Africa and Lesotho, and is also found in southernmost areas of Botswana and Namibia. Its habitat is Karoo scrub, short grassland, and barren sandy or stony areas.