All 5 in 3 days here: ~30%
City
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
Africa, South Africa 445 spp. recorded
Durban is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is the busiest port city in sub-Saharan Africa and was formerly named Port Natal. Wikipedia
29.860° S 30.926° E
🦜 Nature
445 Species sighted
29,734 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Apr Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Durban
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary
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Durban--Kenneth Stainbank NR
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Royal Natal Yacht Club Wharf
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
49Jan
44Feb
46Mar
54Apr
53May
45Jun
43Jul
44Aug
44Sep
52Oct
49Nov
50Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
1%
Protected sea
0.1%
Protected areas
15
areasWildlife spots
9
spotsZoos & centres
2
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 701
🐒 Mammals 182
🦎 Reptiles 99
🐸 Amphibians 46
1028 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
57 Threatened 9 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% 📊
Coverage (151 species at ≥5% of 1028 in the inventory)
15% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
5 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
15 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.3
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 1% land Medium
Protected areas 15 High
Wildlife spots 9 Medium
Zoos & centres 2 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Durban?
445 species
Durban's urban area has 445 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Hadada (about 90%), Red-eyed Dove (about 80%), Common Bulbul (about 70%), Red-winged Starling (about 70%) and House Sparrow (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Vervet Monkey (about 40%); among reptiles, Tropical House Gecko (about 30%); among amphibians, Natal Forest Tree Frog (about 30%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Durban?
May to September
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in December. Those are among Durban's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in January.
Can you see a Hadada in Durban?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Hadada sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 1,232 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January to August (about 90%).
Can you see a Red-winged Starling in Durban?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Red-winged Starling sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 850 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March and October (about 80%).
Can you see a Cape White-eye in Durban?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Cape White-eye sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 590 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May to December (about 60%).
Where in Durban is wildlife easiest to see?
Botanical Gardens
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Botanical Gardens (126 bird species recorded), followed by Umhlanga Lagoon NR and Point area. See them on the map.
Is Durban good for wildlife watching?
4.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Durban gets 4.2/5: 176th of 380 cities worldwide and 20th in Africa. 19 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data