Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Also known as: Brindled Gnu, Common Wildebeest, Gnu, White-Bearded Wildebeest, Blouwildebees
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
180.0 kg
About This Species
Found in open savanna grasslands and lightly wooded plains, these highly gregarious bovids move in loose herds that can number in the thousands, grazing steadily on short grasses and following seasonal rainfall patterns in one of Africa's most dramatic large-scale migrations. Watch for the distinctive rocking, gnu-like gait and listen for the loud, low-pitched snorting grunt — often rendered as "ge-nu" — which carries well across open ground, particularly at dawn when herds are most vocal and active. The dry season from June through October concentrates animals around permanent water sources and offers the most reliable sightings, with the dramatic Mara-Serengeti river crossings peaking between July and September when light is strong and herds are predictably funnelled into narrow corridors.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Maintain a minimum distance of 30 metres at all times, though greater distances are advisable during calving season (typically January–March) or when bulls are displaying rutting behaviour, as these are periods of heightened stress sensitivity.
- Across their range — spanning southern and eastern African nations including South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana — they are protected within national parks and game reserves under legislation such as South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and Tanzania's Wildlife Conservation Act, so always confirm local regulations and operate only with appropriate permits or through licensed operators.
- Keep vehicle engines idling rather than switching off and on repeatedly, avoid sudden movements or loud noises, and never position yourself between individuals or cut off movement corridors, as this can trigger stampede responses that risk injury to the animals and observers alike.
Seasonal Activity
12,094 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 180.0 kg
Photo
(c) jsoczynska, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.