Addo Elephant National Park
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
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Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae.
Species insights
When to visit
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.
Best monthsAny month
Recorded in Eastern Cape~132 records
Curve from 1,103 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.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Common Tern is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,103 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Common Tern
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
From R 457a night
Common Tern recorded here
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Common Tern recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Common Tern recorded here
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,901a night
Common Tern recorded here
Matyholweni Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,426a night
Common Tern recorded here
Addo Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 461a night
Common Tern recorded here
More stays nearby
Cycads On Sea
St Francis Bay
From R 2,460a night
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
From R 1,760a night
Birder friendly
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Hankey
From R 485a night
Birder friendly
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
From R 2,600a night
Forest Hall Guest House
Walmer, Port Elizabeth
From R 1,050a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
GweGwe Beach Lodge
Mkambati Nature Reserve
From R 12,950a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
From R 11,592a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Karoo Cottage - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
From R 3,100a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
From R 4,000a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Hitgeheim Country Lodge Addo
Sundays River Valley, Addo
From R 2,000a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
From R 1,200a night
Birder friendly
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
From R 600a night
Birder friendly
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
From R 449a night
The Garden Route
Next stop
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Common Tern
Hosts have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside 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
Species
Sterna hirundo
Records
1,103
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Common Tern on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Common Tern in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside 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 Common Tern in South Africa?
The Common Tern is most recorded in Western Cape (70% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (18% of records), Eastern Cape (12% of records), based on 1,103 iNaturalist observations. 6 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Common Tern on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Common Tern?
The Common Tern 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. 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 Common Tern?
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions.