
Brown-throated Martin
The brown-throated martin or brown-throated sand martin (Riparia paludicola) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.
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 908 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Brown-throated Martin is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
908 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Brown-throated Martin
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
Brown-throated Martin recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Brown-throated Martin recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Brown-throated Martin recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Brown-throated Martin recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Brown-throated Martin 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
Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 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 · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
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 Brown-throated Martin
Hosts have recorded the Brown-throated Martin at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game 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
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
Riparia paludicola
Records
908
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Brown-throated Martin on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Brown-throated Martin in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Brown-throated Martin at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. 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 Brown-throated Martin in South Africa?
The Brown-throated Martin is most recorded in Western Cape (62% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (12% of records), Gauteng (12% of records), based on 908 iNaturalist observations. 7 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Brown-throated Martin on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Brown-throated Martin?
The Brown-throated Martin 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. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Brown-throated Martin?
The brown-throated martin or brown-throated sand martin (Riparia paludicola) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It was first formally described as Hirundo paludicola by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle. It was formerly regarded as conspecific with the grey-throated martin (R. chinensis) under the name "plain martin".
























