Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
The black-backed puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a species of passerine bird in the Malaconotidae 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~191 records
Curve from 1,735 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
KwaZulu-Natal and beyond
Provinces where Black-backed Puffback is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,735 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Black-backed Puffback
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Pumula Lodge 4 Star Guesthouse Knysna
Hunter's Home, Knysna · From R 2,310 a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve · From R 2,170 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve · From R 1,560 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,340 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,370 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,560 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,560 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,560 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,380 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,580 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,580 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve · From R 1,410 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park · From R 287 a night
Black-backed Puffback recorded here
More stays nearby
Coastal Retreat
Benguela Cove, Hermanus · From R 14,985 a night
Birder friendly
Thabile Lodge
Oudtshoorn · From R 1,400 a night
Bitou River Lodge
Wittedrift, Plettenberg Bay · From R 2,250 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West · From R 5,636 a night
Birder friendly
Franschhoek Country House & Villas
Franschhoek · From R 6,195 a night
Babylonstoren
Klapmuts, Simondium · Price on request
Welgelegen House by RETURN Africa
Gardens, Cape Town · From R 2,800 a night
An African Story by RETURN Africa
Bakoven, Cape Town · From R 9,900 a night
La Clé Lodge & Villas
Franschhoek · Price on request
Schoone Oordt Country House
Swellendam · From R 4,355 a night
Plumbago Cottage - Stanford Country Cottages
Stanford · From R 2,850 a night
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Black-backed Puffback
Hosts have recorded the Black-backed Puffback at stays in or beside Goukamma 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
Dryoscopus cubla
Records
1,735
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Black-backed Puffback on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Black-backed Puffback in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Black-backed Puffback at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and Robberg 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 Black-backed Puffback in South Africa?
The Black-backed Puffback is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Mpumalanga (26% of records), Limpopo (25% of records), based on 1,735 iNaturalist observations. 13 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Black-backed Puffback on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Black-backed Puffback?
The Black-backed Puffback 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. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round; Robberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Black-backed Puffback?
The black-backed puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a species of passerine bird in the Malaconotidae family. They are common to fairly common sedentary bushshrikes in various wooded habitats in Africa south of the equator. They restlessly move about singly, in pairs or family groups, and generally frequent tree canopies.