The Great Migration Calving Season Explained

Each year around late January and February, roughly half a million wildebeest calves are born on the southern Serengeti and Ndutu short-grass plains in a short, dramatic window. Timed so that the flush of nutritious new grass feeds nursing mothers, this synchronised birth pulse overwhelms predators with sheer numbers — a survival strategy written into the herd's biology. For visitors it is one of the most action-packed and photogenic phases of the whole migration.

Key things to know

• ➜Calving peaks on the short-grass plains around Ndutu in late Jan–Feb.
• ➜Hundreds of thousands of calves are born within a few weeks in a synchronised pulse.
• ➜Newborns can stand and run within minutes — a vital defence against predators.
• ➜The concentration of vulnerable young draws intense lion, cheetah and hyena activity.
• ➜It is one of the best times of year for big-cat sightings and dramatic behaviour.
• ➜The open plains and soft light make it a superb period for photography.

References & further reading

1. Thirgood, S., et al. (2004). Can parks protect migratory ungulates? The case of the Serengeti wildebeest. Animal Conservation, 7(2), 113-120.
2. Holdo, R. M., Holt, R. D., & Fryxell, J. M. (2009). Opposing rainfall and plant nutritional gradients best explain the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. The American Naturalist, 173(4), 431-445.
3. Sinclair, A. R. E., et al. (Eds.) (2015). Serengeti IV. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.