MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Quartl · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source ↗
Spotted Thick-knee
Gewone Dikkop · Burhinus capensis
A stocky, nocturnal ground bird, sandy-brown and heavily spotted, with big staring yellow eyes and thick-looking leg joints. It crouches still by day to stay hidden, then prowls for insects and small creatures after dark. Often found around rest camps, it gives an eerie running whistle at night.
Log your Spotted Thick-knee sighting — free →How to identify it
A spotted, sandy ground bird with huge yellow eyes and thick 'knees'; unlike the Water Thick-knee it lives away from water.
Listen for its call
A haunting series of whistles that rise then fade, ringing out after dark.
Where to see it in Kruger
Rests by day in dry bush and grassland and on rest-camp lawns, becoming active at night.
Did you know
Its enormous eyes help it hunt insects in the dark, and it often stands frozen to avoid being seen.
Often confused with
See it? Log it — free.
MyKrugerHoliday is a free, offline field guide and one-tap sighting log for a Kruger self-drive. No ads, no account, works with no signal.