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Where to see

Where to see the South African Shelduck in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the South African Shelduck at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg Nature Reserve.

Tadorna cana

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South African Shelduck
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Planning a trip

When and where to find the South African Shelduck

Hosts have recorded the South African Shelduck at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, 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

    Western Cape

    Cederberg Wilderness Area · Anysberg · Gamkaberg

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe · Amakhala

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape

Ways to look

Drive yourself

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

Where hosts record it

Cederberg Wilderness AreaAnysbergGamkabergRocherpanDe Hoop

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

KwandweAmakhala

Species

Tadorna cana

Records

1,585

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the South African Shelduck on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the South African Shelduck in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the South African Shelduck at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and De Hoop Nature 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 South African Shelduck in South Africa?

The South African Shelduck is most recorded in Western Cape (37% of records), Eastern Cape (20% of records), Northern Cape (14% of records), based on 1,585 iNaturalist observations. 60 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the South African Shelduck on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the South African Shelduck?

The South African Shelduck 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; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the South African Shelduck?

The South African shelduck or Cape shelduck (Tadorna cana) is a species of shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a common endemic species to South Africa.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the South African Shelduck

Every stay on the South African Shelduck page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.

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