Western Cape
Goukamma · Grootvadersbosch · Vrolijkheid
Self-driveMalaria-free
Stays in Western CapeWhere to see
Where to see the Tambourine Dove in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Tambourine Dove at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Kruger National Park.
Turtur tympanistria
Planning 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
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Limpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in Limpopo
KwaZulu-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.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Tambourine Dove
Every stay on the Tambourine Dove page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay