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Where to see

Where to see the Western Osprey in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Western Osprey at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park and De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Pandion haliaetus

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Western Osprey
Photo: (c) Lawrence Hylton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lawrence Hylton

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Western Osprey

Hosts have recorded the Western Osprey at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park and De Hoop 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.

Where to base yourself

  • Western Cape

    Western Cape

    Goukamma · De Hoop · De Mond

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

    Limpopo

    Kruger

    Self-drive
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Amakhala

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape
  • KwaZulu-Natal

    KwaZulu-Natal

    iSimangaliso Wetland

    Stays in KwaZulu-Natal
    KwaZulu-Natal

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

GoukammaKrugerDe HoopDe MondKeurbooms River

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

Amakhala

Species

Pandion haliaetus

Records

479

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Western Osprey on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Western Osprey in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Western Osprey at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Amakhala Game Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and De Mond 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 Western Osprey in South Africa?

The Western Osprey is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (46% of records), Western Cape (27% of records), Mpumalanga (9% of records), based on 479 iNaturalist observations. 30 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Western Osprey on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Western Osprey?

Sightings of the Western Osprey peak from Dec to Jan, based on 479 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.

What is the Western Osprey?

The osprey or more specifically the western osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Western Osprey

Every stay on the Western Osprey 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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