Table Mountain National Park
🇿🇦 South Africa
🐦 Cape Sugarbird Pollinates Table Mountain BlossomsTable Mountain National Park is a rugged mountain and coastal reserve wrapping around the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The landscape is defined by steep sandstone ridges and thick Mediterranean scrub, where visitors hike along rocky paths and coastal boardwalks through dense fynbos vegetation.
-34.252° S 18.426° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Cape Sugarbird
Promerops cafer
★ 
Orange-breasted Sunbird
Anthobaphes violacea
★ 
Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra
📊 Most Spotted
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Cinnyris chalybeus
Hadada
Bostrychia hagedash
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
Red-eyed Dove
Streptopelia semitorquata
Cape Bulbul
Pycnonotus capensis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Karoo Prinia
Prinia maculosa
Black Girdled Lizard
Cordylus niger
Western Leopard Toad
Sclerophrys pantherina
Olive Thrush
Turdus olivaceus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Chacma Baboon
Papio ursinus
Rock Hyrax
Procavia capensis
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Bontebok/Blesbok
Damaliscus pygargus
Cape Porcupine
Hystrix africaeaustralis
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse
Rhabdomys pumilio
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
African Clawless Otter
Aonyx capensis
Cape Dune Mole Rat
Bathyergus suillus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Cape Sugarbird
Promerops cafer
★ Orange-breasted Sunbird
Anthobaphes violacea
📊 Most Spotted
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Cinnyris chalybeus
Hadada
Bostrychia hagedash
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
Red-eyed Dove
Streptopelia semitorquata
Cape Bulbul
Pycnonotus capensis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Karoo Prinia
Prinia maculosa
Olive Thrush
Turdus olivaceus
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
📊 Most Spotted
Black Girdled Lizard
Cordylus niger
Southern Rock Agama
Agama atra
Cape Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion pumilum
Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko
Afrogecko porphyreus
Angulate Tortoise
Chersina angulata
Cape Skink
Trachylepis capensis
Cape Dwarf Gecko
Lygodactylus capensis
Mole Snake
Pseudaspis cana
Common Slug-eater
Duberria lutrix
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Common Brown Water Snake
Lycodonomorphus rufulus
Parrot-beaked Tortoise
Homopus areolatus
📊 Most Spotted
Western Leopard Toad
Sclerophrys pantherina
Cape River Frog
Amietia fuscigula
Clicking Stream Frog
Strongylopus grayii
Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
Lightfoot's moss frog
Arthroleptella lightfooti
Cape sand frog
Tomopterna delalandii
Sand Toad
Vandijkophrynus angusticeps
Giant Rain Frog
Breviceps gibbosus
Mountain Rain Frog
Breviceps montanus
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Flat Dainty frog
Cacosternum platys
Banded Stream Frog
Strongylopus bonaespei
Recent sightings in Table Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Humpback Whale Coastal Migration
Humpback whales migrate along the False Bay coastline, often breaching and feeding near the park's shores.
3Cape Dwarf Chameleon Activity
Cape Dwarf Chameleons emerge to mate and feed on insects, displaying vibrant color changes in the fynbos.
1Cape Sugarbird Pollination Peak
Cape Sugarbirds and Orange-breasted Sunbirds actively pollinate proteas and ericas, creating vibrant floral displays.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Cape Sugarbird Pollination Peak
- 2Humpback Whale Coastal Migration
- 3Cape Dwarf Chameleon Activity
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
I saw an interesting bird called a speckled pigeon and took photos of interesting vegetation and entered them into my iNaturalist app.
We saw beautiful flowers tucked between rocks and plenty of sunbirds flitting from plant to plant.
We hiked up the towering peak at the tip of Cape of Good Hope to see a Cape Siskin.
Cape Spurfowl Swee Waxbill Egyptian Goose Habada Ibis We encountered many of these noisy, gregarious (and unappreciated) birds during our visit to southern Africa, but at Kirstenbosch we could get close enough to appreciate their beautiful plumage.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Table Mountain National Park?
The most likely sightings are Red-winged Starling (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Cape White-eye (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Southern Double-collared Sunbird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Hadada (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Egyptian Goose (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 839 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Table Mountain National Park for wildlife?
August has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Cape Sugarbird in Table Mountain National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sugarbird sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 2,996 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Orange-breasted Sunbird in Table Mountain National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-breasted Sunbird sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 2,671 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mountain Zebra in Table Mountain National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Zebra sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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