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 Liwonde National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

5 Verified sightings at Liwonde National Park From 2019 to 2026
191 In all 6 parks
June 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 Liwonde National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Reedbuck sighting in Liwonde National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 27 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

June

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Reedbuck in Liwonde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August, October and December–May, the lowest months. That is one of Liwonde National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 300 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.

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

Same family: Bovidae

The closest relatives of the Southern Reedbuck that you can see in Liwonde National Park (family Bovidae, Bovids) are Greater Kudu (about 80%), Waterbuck (about 70%) and Impala (about 70%), 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 Liwonde National Park (5 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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