Southern Reedbuck

Southern Reedbuck

Redunca arundinum

Silhouette: Jan A. Venter, Herbert H. T. Prins, David A. Balfour & Rob Slotow (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Kafue National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

7 Verified sightings at Kafue National Park From 2019 to 2026
191 In all 6 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Southern Reedbuck

The southern reedbuck, rietbok or common reedbuck (Redunca arundinum) is a diurnal antelope typically found in southern Africa. It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785. It is placed in the genus Redunca and family Bovidae. This antelope has an average mass of 58 kg (128 lb) and a body length of about 134–167 cm (53–66 in).

It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785. It is placed in the genus Redunca and family Bovidae. It gets its name from two Latin words: reduncas (meaning bent backwards and curved, while the horns are bent forwards) and arundo (harundo) (meaning a reed; hence arundinum, pertaining to reeds).

The southern reedbuck is larger than the other species in Redunca, namely R. redunca (Bohor reedbuck) and R. fulvorufula (mountain reedbuck). It stands 80–90 cm (31–35 in) at the shoulder. Females weigh 48 kg (106 lb), while the males weigh 68 kg (150 lb). It has distinctive dark lines running down the front of each of its forelegs and lower hindlegs and whitish rings around the eyes. It has a lifespan of 10 years.

The coat is silky and almost... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:16

South Africa · 2023

© michelerey · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:08

South Africa · 2023

© nicky001 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~40%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
3 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
4 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
5 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Southern Reedbuck in Kafue National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Reedbuck sighting in Kafue National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 29 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Southern Reedbuck in Kafue National Park?

October

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Reedbuck in Kafue National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June, September and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Kafue National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 290 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Southern Reedbuck?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Reedbuck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kafue National Park the best place to see a Southern Reedbuck?

3rd of 6

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Southern Reedbuck sightings, Kafue National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana, about 40%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Southern Reedbuck live in Kafue National Park?

Same family: Bovidae

The closest relatives of the Southern Reedbuck that you can see in Kafue National Park (family Bovidae, Bovids) are Puku (about 70%), Northern Bushbuck (about 60%) and Impala (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Southern Reedbuck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Southern Reedbuck is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kafue National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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