Where to see
Where to see the Wattled Crane in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Wattled Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve and Kamberg Nature Reserve.
Grus carunculatus · Vulnerable
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Wattled Crane
Hosts have recorded the Wattled Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve and Kamberg 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.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Vulnerable
Species
Grus carunculatus
Records
149
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Wattled Crane on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Wattled Crane in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Wattled Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve, Kamberg Nature Reserve and Royal Natal National 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 Wattled Crane in South Africa?
The Wattled Crane is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (82% of records), Mpumalanga (9% of records), based on 149 iNaturalist observations. 14 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Wattled Crane on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Wattled Crane?
The Wattled Crane 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Giants Castle Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kamberg Nature Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Royal Natal National Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Wattled Crane?
The Wattled Crane (Grus carunculatus) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Wattled Crane?
The wattled crane is a large bird found in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Bugeranus.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Wattled Crane
Every stay on the Wattled Crane 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