Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius

The great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.

from Wikipedia

Showing stays that recordGreat Spotted Cuckoo10+ stays list it on site or nearby

Species insights▾

When to visit

Most records Nov to Mar

When Great Spotted Cuckoo sightings peak, from open records. Outside these months it is seen less often, not never.

Best monthsNov to Mar

Records229 records

Curve from 229 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

Limpopo and beyond

Provinces where Great Spotted Cuckoo is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.

229 records, iNaturalist

Parks where hosts record the Great Spotted Cuckoo

Places to stay

10+ results in South Africa

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Hluhluwe

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 285 birds recorded · African wild dog, Spotted hyena · Game drives

Price on request

Kwandwe Melton Manor

Eastern Cape

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · 207 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge

Eastern Cape

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · 207 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard · Game drives

Price on request

Kwandwe Uplands Homestead

Eastern Cape

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · 207 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Kwandwe Fort House

Eastern Cape

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · 207 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Kwandwe Ecca Lodge

Eastern Cape

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · 207 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris

Mpumalanga

Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Aardvark, African elephant · Guided walk, Game drives

Supports BirdLife South Africa

Price on request

&Beyond Tengile River Lodge

Bushbuckridge

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 37 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Wildlife viewing

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 93,000 per night

Mdluli Safari Lodge

Hazyview

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Game drives

From R 10,670 per night

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge

Hazyview

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,400 per night

Dulini Moya

Bushbuckridge

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Leadwood, Leopard · Safaris, Scenic drives

From R 28,990 per night

Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp

Marloth Park

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Impala, Spotted hyena · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 11,980 per night

Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp

Marloth Park

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,500 per night

Karoo Secret Farm Stay

Aberdeen

Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome · 209 birds recorded · Cycling

Supports BirdLife South Africa

From R 1,200 per night

Makulu Birders Cottage at Wilds Uitvlugt

Rust de Winter

Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · 8 birds recorded · Game drives

Supports BirdLife South Africa

Price on request

Dulini River

Bushbuckridge

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Sausage tree, Leopard · Safaris, Scenic drives

From R 28,990 per night

Dulini Leadwood

Bushbuckridge

Great Spotted Cuckoo recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Leadwood, Jackalberry · Safaris, Game drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 28,990 per night

More stays nearby

Babylonstoren

Klapmuts, Simondium

12 birds recorded · Angulate tortoise, Wild olive · Spa, Vineyards

Price on request

Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Limpopo

Savanna biome · 27 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard · Guided walk, Game drives

Price on request

Thonga Beach Lodge

Manguzi

Forest biome · 60 birds recorded · Humpback whale, Southern right whale · Canoeing, Snorkelling

Price on request

La Clé Lodge & Villas

Franschhoek

Fynbos biome · Cycling

Price on request

Coot Club

Stanford

Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · 8 birds recorded · White milkwood, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Canoeing

Price on request

Ubuntu Lodge at Elephant Point

Hazyview

Savanna biome · 1 bird recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Price on request

Vergenoegd Löw Boutique Hotel & Spa

Somerset West

Fynbos biome · 1 bird recorded · Vineyards, Wine tasting

Price on request

Plan a trip around these stays

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Great Spotted Cuckoo

Hosts have recorded the Great Spotted Cuckoo at stays in or beside Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game 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.

Where to base yourself

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

Kruger

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

Sabi Sand

Species

Clamator glandarius

Records

229

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Great Spotted Cuckoo on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Great Spotted Cuckoo in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Great Spotted Cuckoo at stays in or beside Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game 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 Great Spotted Cuckoo in South Africa?

The Great Spotted Cuckoo is most recorded in Limpopo (38% of records), Mpumalanga (28% of records), North West (14% of records), based on 229 iNaturalist observations. 17 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Great Spotted Cuckoo on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Great Spotted Cuckoo?

Sightings of the Great Spotted Cuckoo peak from Nov to Mar, based on 229 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.

What is the Great Spotted Cuckoo?