Wildlife
Blue wildebeest form part of the largest remaining aggregation of large land mammals. The need to follow seasonal rains and fresh grazing leads to the famously vast Serengeti-Masai Mara migration. The rains also signal a brief period when nearly all blue wildebeest calves are born. The calves can stand within six minutes of birth and follow their mother within 15 - a necessary survival strategy, as having this many young in one place makes a bountiful feast for savannah predators. The spectacular migration can be followed in video clips from series such as Big Cat Diary and Wild Africa.
Did you know?
Blue wildebeest young can stand within six minutes of being born.
Scientific name: Connochaetes taurinus
Rank: Species
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Safety in numbers
Jonathan Scott watches wildebeest cross the Mara river on their long migration
Jonathan Scott watches wildebeest cross the Mara river on their long migration
Elephant safari
Getting close to wildebeest is easier on elephants.
Getting close to wildebeest is easier on elephants.
Migration fever
Timelapse shows wildebeest herds crossing the plains like a living stream.
Migrating across the savanna in their millions, and seen in timelapse, wildebeest create an impression of living streams in their twice yearly journeys.
Placental mammals
Bearing live young comes at a cost worth paying.
Bearing live young comes at a cost worth paying.
Mating on the move
With the migration in full swing, attracting a mate takes some doing.
It's a tiring time for male wildebeest, in the melee of the migration, they need to catch the eye of the passing females, so they dance and grunt to make sure they stand out in the crowd. Fighting and mating continues until most of the females are pregnant and the males are exhausted.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Blue wildebeest can be found in a number of locations including: Africa. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Blue wildebeest distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Stable
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest or the white-bearded wildebeest, is a large antelope and one of two species of wildebeest. Males can grow to a 145 cm (57 in) shoulder height and attain a body mass of over 275 kg (610 lb). They range the open plains, bushveld, and dry woodlands of Southern and East Africa, living for more than 20 years. The male is highly territorial, using scent markings and other devices to protect his domain. The largest population is in the Serengeti, numbering over one million animals. They are a major prey item for lions, hyenas, and crocodiles.
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Migration
Colonial
Hierarchical
Maternal care
Active at birth
Adapted to running
Territorial
Viviparous
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