Cederberg Wilderness Area
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
9 places
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African Black Swift
Apus barbatus
The African black swift or African swift (Apus barbatus) is a small bird in the swift family.
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 Western Cape~194 records
Curve from 273 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 African Black Swift is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
273 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the African Black Swift
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Gemsbok · Greater kudu
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 5,060 a night
Barry House on Riverton
Robertson
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Pietersfontein Conservancy
From R 1,155 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Pumula Lodge 4 Star Guesthouse Knysna
Hunter's Home, Knysna
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Spekboom · Outeniqua yellowwood
Gives back to Revive Knysna
From R 2,310 a night
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 630 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,180 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Limietberg Nature Reserve
Limietberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 220 a night
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
Lark House
Glencairn, Cape Town
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
Price on request
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Cederberg - Kliphuis
Cederberg Wilderness Area
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 180 a night
Gamkaberg Campsite
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 230 a night
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 300 a night
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,460 a night
Mbali Collection
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,590 a night
Oudebosch Eco Cabins
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,730 a night
Coot, Shoveler, Egret & Moorhen Cottages
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Algeria Cottages
Cederberg Wilderness Area
African Black Swift recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Stable Rooms
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
African Black Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 320 a night
The Whale Coast
Next stop
Southern right whales, sea cliffs, and Hermanus's harbour town
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the African Black Swift
Hosts have recorded the African Black Swift at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg Nature 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
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Apus barbatus
Records
273
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the African Black Swift on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the African Black Swift in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Black Swift at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve and Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and other reserves. 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 African Black Swift in South Africa?
The African Black Swift is most recorded in Western Cape (71% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (10% of records), Mpumalanga (6% of records), based on 273 iNaturalist observations. 55 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the African Black Swift on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the African Black Swift?
The African Black Swift 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. Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the African Black Swift?
The African black swift or African swift (Apus barbatus) is a small bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya south to South Africa, and on Madagascar. The breeding habitat is damp mountains, typically between 1,600 and 2,400 m, but less often at lower altitudes.