
Bar-throated Apalis
The bar-throated apalis (Apalis thoracica) is a small African passerine bird belonging to the genus Apalis of the family Cisticolidae.
Species insights
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.
Curve from 1,693 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Bar-throated Apalis is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,694 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Bar-throated Apalis
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 a night
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bar-throated Apalis recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,460 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Impala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,050 a night
From R 12,950 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 3,100 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,000 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 600 a night
Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 2,093 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
Price on request
Albany Thicket biome · Blesbok · Springbok
From R 345 a night
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Boundless
Price on request
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Bar-throated Apalis
Hosts have recorded the Bar-throated Apalis at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park and Tsitsikamma 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.
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
Apalis thoracica
Records
1,694
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Bar-throated Apalis on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Bar-throated Apalis in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Bar-throated Apalis at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Addo Elephant National Park and Tsitsikamma 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 Bar-throated Apalis in South Africa?
The Bar-throated Apalis is most recorded in Western Cape (56% of records), Eastern Cape (22% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (7% of records), based on 1,694 iNaturalist observations. 9 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Bar-throated Apalis on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Bar-throated Apalis?
The Bar-throated Apalis 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. Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Tsitsikamma National Park: Apr-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Bar-throated Apalis?
The bar-throated apalis (Apalis thoracica) is a small African passerine bird belonging to the genus Apalis of the family Cisticolidae. It is native to the eastern and southern Afrotropics.
























