Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Northern Cape · Best Aug to Oct
9 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide ranging species of wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae.
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
Records1,647 records
Curve from 1,647 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.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Purple Heron is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,647 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Purple Heron
Stays that give back
Across the Northern Cape
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Mata-Mata Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Kokerboomkloof Camp Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Nossob Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Gharagab Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Augrabies Falls Rest Camp
Augrabies Falls National Park
From R 362a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Kalahari Tented Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,314a night
Purple Heron recorded here
Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Purple Heron recorded here
De Hoop Camping Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 373a night
Purple Heron recorded here
More stays nearby
Richmond Rooms
Richmond
From R 1,230a night
Mooifontein Farm
Colesberg
From R 1,486a night
Rooikloof Guest Farm
Sutherland
From R 1,600a night
Frontier River Resort
Northern Cape
From R 2,050a night
Motswedi Camp Site
Mokala National Park
From R 628a night
Skilpad Rest Camp
Namaqua National Park
From R 953a night
Mosu Lodge
Mokala National Park
From R 1,401a night
Tankwa Karoo Rest Camp
Tankwa Karoo National Park
From R 192a night
Lilydale Rest Camp
Mokala National Park
From R 1,206a night
Elandsberg Rest Camp
Tankwa Karoo National Park
From R 1,741a night
The Apollis Cottage
Concordia, Springbok
From R 1,700a night
The Karoo
Next stop
South Africa's vast inland heart: silence, stars, and wide horizons
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Purple Heron
Hosts have recorded the Purple Heron at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and Augrabies Falls 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
Ardea purpurea
Records
1,647
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Purple Heron on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Purple Heron in Northern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Purple Heron at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and Augrabies Falls 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 Purple Heron in South Africa?
The Purple Heron is most recorded in Western Cape (59% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (18% of records), Mpumalanga (9% of records), based on 1,647 iNaturalist observations. 13 places to stay on Spekboom in Northern Cape have recorded the Purple Heron on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Purple Heron?
The Purple Heron 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. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Augrabies Falls National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Purple Heron?
The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide ranging species of wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. The scientific name comes from Latin ardea "heron", and purpureus, "coloured purple". It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia.