Cephalophus natalensis
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The red forest duiker, Natal duiker, or Natal red duiker (Cephalophus natalensis) is a small antelope found in central to southern Africa. It is one of 22 extant species form the subfamily Cephalophinae. While the red forest duiker is very similar to the common duiker, it is smaller in size and has a distinguishing reddish coloring. Additionally, the red forest duiker favors a denser bush habitat than the common duiker. The Natal red duiker is more diurnal and less secretive than most forest duikers, so therefore it is easier for them to be observed. In 1999, red forest duikers had an estimated wild population of 42,000 individuals.
Red forest duikers have a body length of up to 1 m (3.3 ft), a typical shoulder height of 43 cm (17 in), and an average mass of 14 kg (31 lb). Both sexes have short, straight horns about 6 cm (2.4 in) long, although in females they may be smaller in size. Towards the base, the horns have coarse rings and longitudinal striations, but they are smooth towards the tips. The longest recorded length of horns for the red forest duiker is 11 cm (4.3 in).
The red forest duiker is a rich reddish-brown in color, although the underparts are typically... Wikipedia →
Recording0:13
Kenya · 2024
© Simon Musila · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 5 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Natal Duiker sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 15 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Natal Duiker in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in February and March, the lowest months. Those are among Durban's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in January.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Natal Duiker sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Natal Duiker sightings, Durban ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Nairobi (Kenya, about 30%).
Same family: Bovidae
The closest relatives of the Natal Duiker that you can see in Durban (family Bovidae, Bovids) are Northern Bushbuck (about 20%), Impala (about 10%) and Bush Duiker (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Natal Duiker is recorded against all the mammals logged in Durban (39 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
