Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Best Winter and spring for birds and flowers
5 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
African Swamphen
Porphyrio madagascariensis
African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) is a species of swamphen occurring in Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
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~874 records
Curve from 1,304 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 Swamphen is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,304 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the African Swamphen
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Coot, Shoveler, Egret & Moorhen Cottages
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Kingfisher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,500 a night
Flamingo Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Oystercatcher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Sandpiper Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
African Swamphen recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Outeniqua yellowwood
From R 287 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
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 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 Cape Winelands
Next stop
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek vineyards, an hour up the N1
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the African Swamphen
Hosts have recorded the African Swamphen at stays in or beside Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park and Keurbooms River 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
Porphyrio madagascariensis
Records
1,304
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the African Swamphen on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the African Swamphen in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Swamphen at stays in or beside Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Keurbooms River 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 Swamphen in South Africa?
The African Swamphen is most recorded in Western Cape (67% of records), Gauteng (14% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (8% of records), based on 1,304 iNaturalist observations. 8 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the African Swamphen on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the African Swamphen?
The African Swamphen 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. Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round; 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 Swamphen?
African swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) is a species of swamphen occurring in Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen, which it resembles, but with bronze green or green-blue back and scapulars.