Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae.
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~772 records
Curve from 1,103 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 Common Tern is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,103 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Common Tern
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 a night
Slangkop Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · King protea · Sugarbush
From R 770 a night
Olifantsbos Guest House
Table Mountain National Park
Common Tern recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · King protea
From R 4,859 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
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Common Tern
Hosts have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain 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
Sterna hirundo
Records
1,103
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Common Tern on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Common Tern in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Common Tern at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, Kogelberg 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 Common Tern in South Africa?
The Common Tern is most recorded in Western Cape (70% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (18% of records), Eastern Cape (12% of records), based on 1,103 iNaturalist observations. 14 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Common Tern on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Common Tern?
The Common Tern 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; Table Mountain 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 Common Tern?
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions.