Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Tambourine Dove
Turtur tympanistria
The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
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
Records401 records
Curve from 401 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 Tambourine Dove is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
401 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Tambourine Dove
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
Barry House on Riverton
Robertson
From R 1,155a 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
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
From R 11,820a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
From R 630a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
From R 1,180a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
From R 680a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
From R 2,170a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,560a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Tomjachu Bush Retreat
Mbombela
From R 3,300a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Zvakanaka Farm
Louis Trichardt
From R 650a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
From R 300a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
From R 1,460a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
From R 1,750a night
Tambourine Dove recorded here
Kosi Forest Lodge
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Tambourine Dove
Hosts have recorded the Tambourine Dove at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Kruger 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
Western Cape
Goukamma · Grootvadersbosch · Vrolijkheid
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeEastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeLimpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in LimpopoKwaZulu-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
Turtur tympanistria
Records
401
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Tambourine Dove on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Tambourine Dove in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Tambourine Dove at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area 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 Tambourine Dove in South Africa?
The Tambourine Dove is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (66% of records), Western Cape (16% of records), Limpopo (8% of records), based on 401 iNaturalist observations. 37 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Tambourine Dove on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Tambourine Dove?
The Tambourine Dove 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; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Tambourine Dove?
The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent from the drier areas of south-western Africa.