Goukamma Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Year-round
9 places
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Lemon Dove
Aplopelia larvata
The lemon dove or cinnamon dove is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae found in montane forests of sub-Saharan 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~353 records
Curve from 512 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 Lemon Dove is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
512 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Lemon Dove
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 300 a night
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,460 a night
Scolopia Cottage
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,780 a night
Fish Eagle Loft
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Otter's Rest
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Kabeljou Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Stumpnose Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Blacktail Cottage
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Mvubu Bush Camp
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Buffalo Valley Vlei Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley River Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Buffalo Valley Forest Lodge
Goukamma Nature Reserve
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 a night
Overseers Mountain Cottage
Table Mountain National Park
Lemon Dove recorded here · Fynbos biome · King protea · Sugarbush
From R 4,009 a night
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
Lemon Dove 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
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
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Lemon Dove
Hosts have recorded the Lemon Dove at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Garden Route 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
Aplopelia larvata
Records
512
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Lemon Dove on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Lemon Dove in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Lemon Dove at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Garden Route National Park, Robberg Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park. 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 Lemon Dove in South Africa?
The Lemon Dove is most recorded in Western Cape (69% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (20% of records), Eastern Cape (6% of records), based on 512 iNaturalist observations. 15 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Lemon Dove on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Lemon Dove?
The Lemon Dove 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; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Robberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Lemon Dove?
The lemon dove or cinnamon dove is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae found in montane forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The São Tomé lemon dove is usually treated as a subspecies. The lemon dove has a generally brownish-grey plumage with a cinnamon brown breast.