
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 KwaZulu-Natal
Tambourine Dove recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Forest biome · Hippopotamus · Nile crocodile
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation and 1 other
Price on request
Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 13,000 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,280 a night
Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust
From R 1,280 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 2 others
From R 5,400 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 5,990 a night
Grassland biome · Spotted hyena · Leopard
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,140 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,691 a night
Forest biome · Humpback whale · Southern right whale
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Blesbok · Serval
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 3 others
From R 1,200 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,950 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 3,995 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Vervet monkey
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 795 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Birder friendly · Savanna biome
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 2 others
From R 1,840 a night
Birder friendly · Savanna biome · African elephant · Cape buffalo
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 14,000 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Nyala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 3,280 a night
Birder friendly · Savanna biome · Leopard · Giraffe
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 240 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
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 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland 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.
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 KwaZulu-Natal?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Tambourine Dove at stays in or beside Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland 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 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. 2 places to stay on Spekboom in KwaZulu-Natal 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. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; iSimangaliso Wetland Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. 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.
























