
Bank Cormorant
The bank cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus), also known as Wahlberg's cormorant is a medium-sized cormorant that is endemic to Namibia and the western seaboard of South Africa, living in and around coastal waters; it is rarely recorded more than 15 km offshore.
Species insights
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.
Curve from 365 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.
Western Cape
Provinces where Bank Cormorant is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
365 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Bank Cormorant
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Bank Cormorant recorded here
Birder friendly
Birder friendly
Southern right whales, sea cliffs, and Hermanus's harbour town
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Bank Cormorant
Hosts have recorded the Bank Cormorant at stays in or beside De Hoop Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park and De Mond 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.
Where to base yourself
- Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
- Eastern CapeSelf-driveStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Endangered
Species
Phalacrocorax neglectus
Records
365
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Bank Cormorant on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Bank Cormorant in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Bank Cormorant at stays in or beside De Hoop Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, De Mond Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Kogelberg Nature Reserve and Tsitsikamma National Park 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 Bank Cormorant in South Africa?
The Bank Cormorant is most recorded in Western Cape (99% of records), based on 365 iNaturalist observations. 14 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Bank Cormorant on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Bank Cormorant?
The Bank Cormorant 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; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; De Mond Nature Reserve: Summer for terns and waders, Oct-Mar; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Bank Cormorant?
The Bank Cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Bank Cormorant?
The bank cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus), also known as Wahlberg's cormorant is a medium-sized cormorant that is endemic to Namibia and the western seaboard of South Africa, living in and around coastal waters; it is rarely recorded more than 15 km offshore.

























