Cederberg Wilderness Area
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
9 places
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Cape Rock Thrush
Monticola rupestris
The Cape rock thrush (Monticola rupestris) is a member of the Muscicapidae family of birds.
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~914 records
Curve from 1,632 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 Cape Rock Thrush is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,632 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Cape Rock Thrush
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Succulent Karoo biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 350 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
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
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 630 a night
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Limietberg Nature Reserve
Limietberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 220 a night
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 680 a night
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Bloukrans Off-Grid Cabin
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Cederberg - Kliphuis
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 180 a night
Gamkaberg Campsite
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 230 a night
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 300 a night
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,460 a night
Mbali Collection
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,590 a night
Oudebosch Eco Cabins
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,730 a night
Algeria Cottages
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Stable Rooms
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 320 a night
Ou Kraal
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 1,600 a night
Xami Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 1,520 a night
Fossil Ridge Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 1,320 a night
Sweetthorn Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Cape Rock Thrush recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 1,320 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 Cape Rock Thrush
Hosts have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Gamkaberg 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
Monticola rupestris
Records
1,632
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Cape Rock Thrush on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Cape Rock Thrush in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch 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 Cape Rock Thrush in South Africa?
The Cape Rock Thrush is most recorded in Western Cape (56% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (21% of records), Eastern Cape (11% of records), based on 1,632 iNaturalist observations. 41 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Cape Rock Thrush on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Cape Rock Thrush?
The Cape Rock Thrush 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. Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Cape Rock Thrush?
The Cape rock thrush (Monticola rupestris) is a member of the Muscicapidae family of birds. This rock thrush breeds in eastern and southern South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. It is a common endemic resident, non-migratory apart from seasonal altitudinal movements in some areas.