
Tambourine Dove
The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
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 401 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.
KwaZulu-Natal and beyond
Provinces where Tambourine Dove is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
401 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Tambourine Dove
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Tambourine Dove recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Tambourine Dove recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Tambourine Dove 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 · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 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 · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 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 Tambourine Dove
Hosts have recorded the Tambourine Dove 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
Turtur tympanistria
Records
401
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Tambourine Dove on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Tambourine Dove in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Tambourine Dove 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 Tambourine Dove in South Africa?
The Tambourine Dove is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (66% of records), Western Cape (16% of records), Limpopo (8% of records), based on 401 iNaturalist observations. 5 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Tambourine Dove on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Tambourine Dove?
The Tambourine Dove 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 Tambourine Dove?
The tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent from the drier areas of south-western Africa.
























