Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Northern Cape · Best Aug to Oct
9 places
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Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Merops hirundineus
The swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae.
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 Northern Cape~370 records
Curve from 466 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
Northern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
468 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Stays that give back
Across the Northern Cape
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Mata-Mata Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Motswedi Camp Site
Mokala National Park
From R 628a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Kokerboomkloof Camp Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Mosu Lodge
Mokala National Park
From R 1,401a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Nossob Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Gharagab Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Augrabies Falls Rest Camp
Augrabies Falls National Park
From R 362a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Lilydale Rest Camp
Mokala National Park
From R 1,206a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Kalahari Tented Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,314a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater recorded here
De Hoop Camping Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 373a night
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater 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
Skilpad Rest Camp
Namaqua National Park
From R 953a night
Tankwa Karoo Rest Camp
Tankwa Karoo National Park
From R 192a 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 Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Hosts have recorded the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and Mokala 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
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Species
Merops hirundineus
Records
468
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in Northern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Mokala National 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 Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in South Africa?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is most recorded in Northern Cape (79% of records), Limpopo (12% of records), based on 468 iNaturalist observations. 16 places to stay on Spekboom in Northern Cape have recorded the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater 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; Mokala National 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 conservation status of the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater?
The swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in savannah woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is partially migratory, moving in response to rainfall patterns.