Skip to main content

Where to see

Where to see the White Stork in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the White Stork at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.

Ciconia ciconia

See where to stay
White Stork
Photo: (c) xulescu_g, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the White Stork

Hosts have recorded the White Stork at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Goukamma Nature 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

    Western Cape

    Goukamma · De Hoop · Grootvadersbosch

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • KwaZulu-Natal

    KwaZulu-Natal

    uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Giants Castle · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi

    Stays in KwaZulu-Natal
    KwaZulu-Natal
  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger · Timbavati

    Self-driveGuided drives
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe · Amakhala

    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

GoukammaKrugerKgalagadiDe HoopGrootvadersbosch

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

KwandweTimbavatiAmakhala

Species

Ciconia ciconia

Records

680

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

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

Which parks and reserves are best for the White Stork in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the White Stork at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kwandwe Private Game 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 White Stork in South Africa?

The White Stork is most recorded in Western Cape (28% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (20% of records), Mpumalanga (15% of records), based on 680 iNaturalist observations. 66 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the White Stork on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the White Stork?

Sightings of the White Stork peak from Dec to Mar, based on 680 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.

What is the White Stork?

The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100-115 cm (39-45 in) from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155-215 cm (61-85 in) wingspan.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the White Stork

Every stay on the White Stork 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