Marloth Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
1 place
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Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumanni
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon.
Species insights
When to visit
Most records Nov to Mar
When Lesser Kestrel sightings peak, from open records. Outside these months it is seen less often, not never.
Best monthsNov to Mar
Records212 records
Curve from 212 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Northern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Lesser Kestrel is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
212 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Lesser Kestrel
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
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
Lesser Kestrel recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,180 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
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
Vergenoegd Löw Boutique Hotel & Spa
Somerset West
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Love to Give
Price on request
Whale Coast Ocean Villa
Voëlklip, Hermanus
Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
Gives back to Stanford Animal Welfare Society and 1 other
From R 2,235 a night
Assendelft Lodge
Prince Albert
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 1,200 a night
Tintswalo at Boulders
Simon's Town, Cape Town
Fynbos biome
Gives back to SANCCOB and 4 others
Price on request
Klein Waterval Riverside Lodge
Franschhoek
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 3,425 a night
Devonport House
Constantia, Cape Town
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust and 5 others
From R 3,500 a night
Grande Roche Hotel
Paarl
Fynbos biome
Price on request
Danielskraal Guest Farm
Calitzdorp
Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Spekboom
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 2,500 a 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 Lesser Kestrel
Hosts have recorded the Lesser Kestrel at stays in or beside Marloth Nature Reserve.
Best hours of the day
- Late morning to mid-afternoon. Raptors soar once the sun raises thermals.
- Early morning. Often perched while the air warms.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Falco naumanni
Records
212
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Lesser Kestrel on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Lesser Kestrel in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Lesser Kestrel at stays in or beside Marloth 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 Lesser Kestrel in South Africa?
The Lesser Kestrel is most recorded in Northern Cape (33% of records), Mpumalanga (14% of records), Free State (13% of records), based on 212 iNaturalist observations. 3 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Lesser Kestrel on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Kestrel?
Sightings of the Lesser Kestrel peak from Nov to Mar, based on 212 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.
What is the Lesser Kestrel?
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European range.