De Hoop Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
3 places
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African Snipe
Gallinago nigripennis
The African snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader.
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~130 records
Curve from 464 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
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where African Snipe is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
464 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the African Snipe
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
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
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
African Snipe recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
African Snipe recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Bakoorvos & Silwervos Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
African Snipe recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Ichelesi Cottage
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
African Snipe recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,950 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
The Whale Trail (De Hoop)
De Hoop Nature Reserve
African Snipe recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
From R 6,460 a night
More stays nearby
Coastal Retreat
Benguela Cove, Hermanus
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 14,985 a night
Thabile Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 1,400 a night
Bitou River Lodge
Wittedrift, Plettenberg Bay
Forest biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,250 a night
Franschhoek Country House & Villas
Franschhoek
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 6,195 a night
Babylonstoren
Klapmuts, Simondium
Angulate tortoise · Wild olive
Price on request
Welgelegen House by RETURN Africa
Gardens, Cape Town
Fynbos biome · English oak
From R 2,800 a night
An African Story by RETURN Africa
Bakoven, Cape Town
Fynbos biome
From R 9,900 a night
La Clé Lodge & Villas
Franschhoek
Fynbos biome · English oak
Price on request
Schoone Oordt Country House
Swellendam
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Barrydale Hospice
From R 4,355 a night
Plumbago Cottage - Stanford Country Cottages
Stanford
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 2,850 a night
Coot Club
Stanford
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · White milkwood · Southern right whale
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy
Price on request
Lauradale
Stellenbosch
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 1,465 a night
Moonshine on Whiskey Creek
The Crags, Plettenberg Bay
Fynbos biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,950 a night
Vergenoegd Löw Boutique Hotel & Spa
Somerset West
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Love to Give
Price on request
Whale Coast Ocean Villa
Voëlklip, Hermanus
Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
Gives back to Stanford Animal Welfare Society and 1 other
From R 2,235 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 Snipe
Hosts have recorded the African Snipe at stays in or beside De Hoop Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and Kogelberg 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
Gallinago nigripennis
Records
464
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the African Snipe on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the African Snipe in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Snipe at stays in or beside De Hoop Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and Kogelberg Nature 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 African Snipe in South Africa?
The African Snipe is most recorded in Gauteng (36% of records), Western Cape (28% of records), Mpumalanga (14% of records), based on 464 iNaturalist observations. 9 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the African Snipe on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the African Snipe?
The African Snipe 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. De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kogelberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the African Snipe?
The African snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader. It breeds in eastern and southern Africa in wet mountain moorland and swamps at altitudes of 1,700-4,000 m (5,600-13,100 ft). When not breeding it disperses widely, including into coastal lowlands.