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Wildebeest migration in the Serengeti
Photo: Wolves201, CC BY-SA 4.0

Safari · Tanzania

Serengeti Animal Checklist

The Serengeti in northern Tanzania is famous for the great migration, when well over a million wildebeest follow the rains in a year-round loop with zebras and gazelles. It has all of the Big Five, though black rhino is rare, and some of Africa's best lion and cheetah viewing. This checklist covers 68 animals. June to October and January to March are the peak months.

At nearly 15,000 square kilometres, the Serengeti is about ten times the size of Kenya's Masai Mara, and where the herds are depends on the month. Resident lions, leopards and hyenas stay put, so the central Seronera valley is good all year.

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The Serengeti checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
68
Where
Tanzania
Best time
Jun to Oct, Jan to Mar
Great migration
Year-round loop

The Big Five and the migration in the Serengeti

  • Wildebeest, one of the animals to look for in Serengeti

    Wildebeest

    The engine of the migration. Calving peaks on the short-grass plains around Ndutu in February, and the herds reach the Mara River in the far north from about July.

    Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Lion, one of the animals to look for in Serengeti

    Lion

    The Serengeti has one of Africa's largest lion populations. Look on the granite kopjes around Seronera and the Simba and Gol kopjes, where prides rest in the shade.

    Photo: Schuyler Shepherd ( Unununium272 ), CC BY-SA 2.5

  • Leopard, one of the animals to look for in Serengeti

    Leopard

    Scan the sausage trees and yellow-barked acacias along the Seronera River, where leopards lie draped over branches in the heat of the day.

    Photo: Tobi 87, CC BY-SA 3.0

  • African Savanna Elephant

    Scarce on the open southern plains, but herds move through the woodlands of the north and west. The Lobo area and the Western Corridor are reliable.

  • Cape Buffalo

    Big herds graze in the central and northern woodlands, and old bulls wallow in the swamps along the Seronera and Grumeti rivers.

  • Black Rhinoceros

    Only a small, closely guarded population lives in the park. A sighting is a real bonus; if you are lucky, keep its location to yourself.

  • Cheetah

    The open short-grass plains in the south and east, around Gol and Naabi Hill, are some of the best cheetah country anywhere. Look for them on termite mounds, scanning for gazelles.

  • Fischer's Lovebird

    A small green parrot found only in north-central Tanzania. Flocks feed on the ground near waterholes and in acacia woodland around Seronera.

All 68 animals to spot in the Serengeti

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

The Big Five 5

Grazers and browsers 16

Hunters 8

Smaller mammals 7

Birds of prey 10

Big birds 8

Colourful birds 10

Reptiles and amphibians 4

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in the Serengeti

There is no bad month in the Serengeti, but where to stay changes with the migration. From December to March the herds spread across the southern plains around Ndutu, and most calves are born in a few weeks in late January and February. Predators follow, so this is a superb time for lion, cheetah and hyena action. The long rains in April and May make some tracks muddy, and many camps close. From late May the herds move north and west, and in June and July they cross the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor. From July to October they reach the far north around Kogatende, with crossings of the Mara River. November's short rains send them back south through the central and eastern Serengeti. Resident game around Seronera is good all year.

  • Dec-MarHerds on the southern plains; calving around Ndutu peaks in February
  • Apr-MayLong rains; herds moving to central and western areas, some camps close
  • Jun-JulRut and Grumeti River crossings in the Western Corridor
  • Jul-OctMara River crossings in the northern Serengeti around Kogatende
  • NovShort rains; herds stream back south through the east

Tips for spotting wildlife in the Serengeti

  1. Base yourself by the month

    The herds can be 150 km from where they were a few months earlier. Choose a camp in the south for January to March, the west for June, and the north for August to October.

  2. Spend time at the kopjes

    The granite outcrops around Seronera, Moru and Gol shelter lions, klipspringers, rock hyraxes and Verreaux's eagle-owls. Circle them slowly and check the shady side.

  3. Watch the short grass in calving season

    In February, around Ndutu and Lake Masek, look for groups of vultures and hyenas. They often mark a birth or a kill, and cheetahs hunt the calves by day.

  4. Stay on the tracks

    Off-road driving is not permitted in most of the national park, and night drives are not allowed. The Ndutu area, inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, has its own rules; even there, don't ask your driver to leave the track for a closer look.

  5. Look for the local birds

    Fischer's lovebird, rufous-tailed weaver and grey-breasted spurfowl are found only in northern Tanzania. All three are easy around Seronera, if you ask your guide to stop.

The Wilder app

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  • A passport stampOne for the Serengeti, kept in your Wilder passport.
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The Serengeti checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked

Serengeti wildlife FAQ

What animals can you see in the Serengeti?

You can see wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, hippos and hyenas in the Serengeti, plus more than 500 bird species. This checklist covers 68 of them, including birds found only in northern Tanzania. The migration herds move with the seasons, but most other animals are resident, so you can see plenty in any month.

Can you see the Big Five in the Serengeti?

Yes, the Serengeti has all of the Big Five, but the rhino is hard. Lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are seen on most trips. Black rhinos live only in small numbers and sightings are rare. If rhino matters to you, add a day in the nearby Ngorongoro Crater, which is far more reliable.

Where is the great migration each month?

The migration is in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu from December to March, moving through the central and western Serengeti in April and May. It is in the Western Corridor around the Grumeti River in June and July, and in the far north and Kenya's Masai Mara from July to October. It heads back south in November. Rain decides the timing, so it shifts by a few weeks each year.

When is calving season in the Serengeti?

Calving season in the Serengeti is from late January to early March, with a peak in February. Around eight thousand wildebeest calves can be born a day on the short-grass plains around Ndutu and the southern Serengeti. It is one of the best times to see predators hunting, especially cheetahs, lions and spotted hyenas, and the plains are green after the short rains.

Are there rhinos in the Serengeti?

Yes, there are black rhinos in the Serengeti, but very few, and they are rarely seen. The small population is closely protected by rangers. There are no white rhinos. Most visitors who want a rhino sighting in northern Tanzania see one on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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