Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Grey-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara.
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~866 records
Curve from 1,924 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 Grey-headed Gull is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,924 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Grey-headed Gull
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
Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)
Pringle Bay
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Lark House
Glencairn, Cape Town
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
Price on request
Coot, Shoveler, Egret & Moorhen Cottages
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Kingfisher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,500 a night
Flamingo Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Oystercatcher Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Sandpiper Cottage
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,430 a night
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 a night
Damara Trail (De Mond)
De Mond Nature Reserve
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 3,690 a night
Slangkop Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · King protea · Sugarbush
From R 770 a night
Olifantsbos Guest House
Table Mountain National Park
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · King protea
From R 4,859 a night
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
Grey-headed Gull recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Outeniqua yellowwood
From R 287 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
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Grey-headed Gull
Hosts have recorded the Grey-headed Gull at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.
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
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Records
1,924
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Grey-headed Gull on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Grey-headed Gull in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Grey-headed Gull at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, De Mond Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park and Keurbooms River 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 Grey-headed Gull in South Africa?
The Grey-headed Gull is most recorded in Western Cape (45% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (25% of records), Gauteng (10% of records), based on 1,924 iNaturalist observations. 22 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Grey-headed Gull on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Grey-headed Gull?
The Grey-headed Gull 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; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; De Mond Nature Reserve: Summer for terns and waders, Oct-Mar. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Grey-headed Gull?
The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is more widespread in winter. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to North America, Italy and Spain.