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Where to see

Where to see the Spotted Thick-knee in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Spotted Thick-knee at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Burhinus capensis

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Spotted Thick-knee
Photo: (c) William Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by William Stephens

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Spotted Thick-knee

Hosts have recorded the Spotted Thick-knee at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Best hours of the day

  • Dusk and after dark. Listen for calls; a torch at camp or a night drive works best.
  • Daytime. Roosting, well hidden.

Where to base yourself

  • Western Cape

    Western Cape

    Goukamma · Rocherpan · De Hoop

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

    Limpopo

    Kruger

    Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Northern Cape

    Northern Cape

    Kgalagadi

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

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe

    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

GoukammaKrugerKgalagadiRocherpanDe 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

Kwandwe

Species

Burhinus capensis

Records

3,399

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Spotted Thick-knee on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Spotted Thick-knee in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Spotted Thick-knee at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 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 Spotted Thick-knee in South Africa?

The Spotted Thick-knee is most recorded in Western Cape (60% of records), Gauteng (20% of records), Eastern Cape (6% of records), based on 3,399 iNaturalist observations. 75 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Spotted Thick-knee on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Spotted Thick-knee?

The Spotted Thick-knee 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; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; 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 Spotted Thick-knee?

The spotted thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee, is a wader in the family Burhinidae. It is native to tropical regions of central and southern Africa.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Spotted Thick-knee

Every stay on the Spotted Thick-knee 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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