Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
9 places
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Spectacled Weaver
Ploceus ocularis
The spectacled weaver (Ploceus ocularis) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae.
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
Records1,264 records
Curve from 1,264 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
KwaZulu-Natal and beyond
Provinces where Spectacled Weaver is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,264 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Spectacled Weaver
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
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
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
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
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Spectacled Weaver 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
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Wilge River Bush Camp
Bronkhorstspruit
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome
Gives back to Lessons in Conservation (LiC)
From R 600 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Birdsong Cottage
Howick
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Vervet monkey
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 795 a night
Tomjachu Bush Retreat
Mbombela
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Plains zebra
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 3,300 a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Zvakanaka Farm
Louis Trichardt
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 650 a night
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Skukuza Rest Camp
Kruger National Park
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Savanna biome · African elephant · Cape buffalo
From R 390 a night
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Spectacled Weaver recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Aardvark · African elephant
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
Price on request
Kosi Forest Lodge
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Forest biome · Hippopotamus · Nile crocodile
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation and 1 other
Price on request
More stays nearby
Coastal Retreat
Benguela Cove, Hermanus
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 14,985 a night
Sasi Bush Lodge
Bergville
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 2 others
From R 5,400 a night
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 Spectacled Weaver
Hosts have recorded the Spectacled Weaver at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park.
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
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in LimpopoEastern Cape
Kwandwe · Addo Elephant
Eastern CapeSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeKwaZulu-Natal
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · iSimangaliso Wetland
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
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
Ploceus ocularis
Records
1,264
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Spectacled Weaver on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Spectacled Weaver in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Spectacled Weaver at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. 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 Spectacled Weaver in South Africa?
The Spectacled Weaver is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (60% of records), Mpumalanga (19% of records), Eastern Cape (13% of records), based on 1,264 iNaturalist observations. 22 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Spectacled Weaver on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Spectacled Weaver?
The Spectacled Weaver 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; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; 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 Spectacled Weaver?
The spectacled weaver (Ploceus ocularis) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found widely in woodland, forest edge and gardens of East, Middle and Southern Africa, but is absent from the most arid regions (such as the Karoo) and dense, primary rainforest.