Want to know where and when to find Spotted Thick-knee? opspoor shows recent sightings across South Africa's parks and when each species is usually active.
Where to see Spotted Thick-knee in South Africa
About the Spotted Thick-knee
The spotted thick-knee is a large-eyed, ground-dwelling bird of African grasslands, savanna, shrubland and semi-arid habitats. Its brown, black and white plumage provides excellent camouflage during the day. It is mainly nocturnal and forages on foot, feeding primarily on insects and other invertebrates but also taking small reptiles, amphibians and other small prey. It is often detected by its distinctive calls rather than by sight.
How to identify the Spotted Thick-knee
Large ground-dwelling bird with a disproportionately large rounded head, huge yellow eyes, stout bill, long yellow legs and brown-and-white speckled camouflage. Most active around dusk and at night.
Did you know?
When defending a nest, adults can spread their wings and adopt an intimidating posture or perform distraction displays to draw predators away from their young.
Also known as: Thick-knee, Gevlekte Dikknie, Dikknie
Planning a safari? Pick a park above to see when and where to look for Spotted Thick-knee, and log your own sightings in opspoor, even with no signal.