Anysberg Nature Reserve
Western Cape · Best Autumn and spring
7 places
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Red-billed Quelea
Quelea quelea
The red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea), also known as the red-billed weaver or red-billed dioch, is a small-approximately 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighing 15-26 g (0.53-0.92 oz)-migratory, sparrow-like bird of the weaver family, Ploceidae, native to 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~200 records
Curve from 2,001 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
Limpopo and beyond
Provinces where Red-billed Quelea is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
2,001 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Red-billed Quelea
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Succulent Karoo biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 350 a night
Barry House on Riverton
Robertson
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Pietersfontein Conservancy
From R 1,155 a night
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
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 630 a night
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,180 a night
Bloukrans Off-Grid Cabin
Montagu
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black backed jackal · Honey badger
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Grootvadersbosch Campsites
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 300 a night
Grootvadersbosch Cabins
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,460 a night
Luiperd & Rooikat Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Bakoorvos & Silwervos Cottages
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,750 a night
Scolopia Cottage
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
From R 1,780 a night
Ichelesi Cottage
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
From R 1,950 a night
Tapfontein
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 250 a night
Anysberg Campsites
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 250 a night
Chameleon Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,520 a night
Leguaan Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,520 a night
Gecko Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 1,060 a night
Seps Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome
From R 930 a night
Agama Cottage
Anysberg Nature Reserve
Red-billed Quelea 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
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
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 Red-billed Quelea
Hosts have recorded the Red-billed Quelea at stays in or beside Anysberg Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch 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
Quelea quelea
Records
2,001
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Red-billed Quelea on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Red-billed Quelea in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Red-billed Quelea at stays in or beside Anysberg Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve, Marloth 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 Red-billed Quelea in South Africa?
The Red-billed Quelea is most recorded in Limpopo (20% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (16% of records), Gauteng (16% of records), based on 2,001 iNaturalist observations. 19 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Red-billed Quelea on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Red-billed Quelea?
The Red-billed Quelea 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. Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Marloth Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Red-billed Quelea?
The red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea), also known as the red-billed weaver or red-billed dioch, is a small-approximately 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighing 15-26 g (0.53-0.92 oz)-migratory, sparrow-like bird of the weaver family, Ploceidae, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It was named by Linnaeus in 1758, who considered it a bunting, but Ludwig Reichenbach assigned it in 1850 to the new genus Quelea.