Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Black Crake
Zapornia flavirostra
The black crake is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae.
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~656 records
Curve from 1,822 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 Black Crake is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,822 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Black Crake
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
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,180 a night
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 300 a night
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,460 a night
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Bakoorvos & Silwervos Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Coot, Shoveler, Egret & Moorhen Cottages
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Scolopia Cottage
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,780 a night
Kingfisher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,500 a night
Flamingo Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Oystercatcher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Sandpiper Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Ichelesi Cottage
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,950 a night
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Black Crake recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 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 Crake
Hosts have recorded the Black Crake at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and Grootvadersbosch 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
Zapornia flavirostra
Records
1,822
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Black Crake on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Black Crake in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Black Crake at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and Kogelberg 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 Black Crake in South Africa?
The Black Crake is most recorded in Western Cape (36% of records), Mpumalanga (27% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (16% of records), based on 1,822 iNaturalist observations. 26 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Black Crake on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Black Crake?
The Black Crake 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; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Black Crake?
The black crake is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. It breeds in most of sub-Saharan Africa except in very arid areas. It undertakes some seasonal movements in those parts of its range which are subject to drought. No subspecies have been described.