Cederberg Wilderness Area
Western Cape · Best Sep to Apr
9 places
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Mountain Wheatear
Myrmecocichla monticola
The mountain wheatear or mountain chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern 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~252 records
Curve from 868 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
Northern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Mountain Wheatear is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
868 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Mountain Wheatear
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
Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)
Swartberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 630 a night
Cederberg - Kliphuis
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 180 a night
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Bakoorvos & Silwervos Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Algeria Cottages
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,990 a night
Rietdak Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,580 a night
Waenhuis Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 960 a night
Garskraal Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 2,310 a night
Uitkyk Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,510 a night
Peerboom
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,490 a night
Sas se Werf
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,490 a night
Prik se Werf
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,490 a night
Ichelesi Cottage
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,950 a night
Tapfontein
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 250 a night
Anysberg Campsites
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 250 a night
Chameleon Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,520 a night
Leguaan Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,520 a night
Gecko Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,060 a night
Seps Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 930 a night
Agama Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Mountain Wheatear recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,340 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
The Overberg
Next stop
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Mountain Wheatear
Hosts have recorded the Mountain Wheatear at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Vrolijkheid 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
Species
Myrmecocichla monticola
Records
868
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Mountain Wheatear on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Mountain Wheatear in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Mountain Wheatear at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and Swartberg 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 Mountain Wheatear in South Africa?
The Mountain Wheatear is most recorded in Northern Cape (32% of records), Western Cape (29% of records), Gauteng (21% of records), based on 868 iNaturalist observations. 21 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Mountain Wheatear on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Mountain Wheatear?
The Mountain Wheatear 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. Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Swartberg Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Mountain Wheatear?
The mountain wheatear or mountain chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.