De Hoop Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
4 places
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Crowned Cormorant
Microcarbo coronatus
The crowned cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus) is a small cormorant that is endemic to the waters of the cold Benguela Current of southern Africa.
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~1,279 records
Curve from 1,305 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
Provinces where Crowned Cormorant is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,305 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Crowned Cormorant
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
From R 4,640a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
The Whale Trail (De Hoop)
De Hoop Nature Reserve
From R 6,460a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Damara Trail (De Mond)
De Mond Nature Reserve
From R 3,690a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Smitswinkel Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
From R 965a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Overseers Mountain Cottage
Table Mountain National Park
From R 4,009a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Slangkop Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
From R 770a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Lark House
Glencairn, Cape Town
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
Olifantsbos Guest House
Table Mountain National Park
From R 4,859a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
From R 287a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Lekkerwater
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
West Coast National Park
West Coast National Park
From R 1,646a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
Nature’s Valley Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
From R 294a night
Crowned Cormorant recorded here
More stays nearby
Coastal Retreat
Benguela Cove, Hermanus
From R 26,450a night
Birder friendly
Thabile Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 1,400a night
Bitou River Lodge
Wittedrift, Plettenberg Bay
From R 2,250a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
From R 5,636a night
Birder friendly
Welgelegen House by RETURN Africa
Gardens, Cape Town
From R 2,800a night
Babylonstoren
Klapmuts, Simondium
Price on request
An African Story by RETURN Africa
Bakoven, Cape Town
From R 9,900a night
Schoone Oordt Country House
Swellendam
From R 4,355a night
La Clé Lodge & Villas
Franschhoek
Price on request
Plumbago Cottage - Stanford Country Cottages
Stanford
From R 2,850a 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 Crowned Cormorant
Hosts have recorded the Crowned 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 Cape
De Hoop · Table Mountain · De Mond
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeEastern Cape
Tsitsikamma
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
Species
Microcarbo coronatus
Records
1,305
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Crowned Cormorant on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Crowned Cormorant in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Crowned 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 Crowned Cormorant in South Africa?
The Crowned Cormorant is most recorded in Western Cape (98% of records), based on 1,305 iNaturalist observations. 14 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Crowned Cormorant on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Crowned Cormorant?
The Crowned 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 Crowned Cormorant?
The crowned cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus) is a small cormorant that is endemic to the waters of the cold Benguela Current of southern Africa. It is an exclusively coastal species and is not found more than 10 km (6 mi) away from land. This species is related to the reed cormorant, and was formerly considered to the same species.