Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaVulnerable
The grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola), known as the black-bellied plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in Arctic regions.
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~383 records
Curve from 639 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 Plover is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
639 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Grey Plover
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Grey Plover recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 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
Plumbago Cottage - Stanford Country Cottages
Stanford
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 2,850 a night
Coot Club
Stanford
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · White milkwood · Southern right whale
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy
Price on request
Lauradale
Stellenbosch
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 1,465 a night
Moonshine on Whiskey Creek
The Crags, Plettenberg Bay
Fynbos biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,950 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 Plover
Hosts have recorded the Grey Plover at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve 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
IUCN Red List
Vulnerable
Species
Pluvialis squatarola
Records
639
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Grey Plover on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Grey Plover in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Grey Plover at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve and Keurbooms River 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 Grey Plover in South Africa?
The Grey Plover is most recorded in Western Cape (60% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (24% of records), Eastern Cape (14% of records), based on 639 iNaturalist observations. 10 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Grey Plover on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Grey Plover?
The Grey Plover 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; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Grey Plover?
The Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Grey Plover?
The grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola), known as the black-bellied plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent.