Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
The southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae.
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
Records3,507 records
Curve from 3,507 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 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
3,504 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Mbizane Escarpment Retreat
Mbombela
From R 3,800a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Pafuri Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
From R 5,636a 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
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Price on request
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Barry House on Riverton
Robertson
From R 1,155a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Forellenhof Guest Farm
Wakkerstroom
From R 1,500a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
From R 6,800a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Wetlands Country House & Sheds
Wakkerstroom
From R 2,550a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
From R 630a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
From R 4,640a night
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow recorded here
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 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 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Hosts have recorded the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park and Anysberg 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
Goukamma · Anysberg · De Hoop
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeLimpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in Limpopo
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern CapeEastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Species
Passer diffusus
Records
3,504
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kwandwe Private Game 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 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow in South Africa?
The Southern Grey-headed Sparrow is most recorded in Western Cape (18% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (18% of records), Mpumalanga (14% of records), based on 3,504 iNaturalist observations. 72 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow?
The Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 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. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Southern Grey-headed Sparrow?
The southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus) is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow. It is found in savanna and woodland in Angola and Zambia southwards into South Africa, where it is expanding its range and is kept as a caged bird, like its relative the white-rumped seedeater.