Serengeti National Reserve

The Great Migration takes place within the Serengeti Ecosystem, an area that spans northern Tanzania and spills over into south-western Kenya. This ecosystem is much larger than just the Serengeti National Park itself. It also includes Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Grumeti Game Reserve and the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, as well as Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

The location of the herds is seasonal. Broadly, they can be found in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu area from December to March (calving season). From April to June, they begin moving north through the central and western Serengeti. From July to October, they are concentrated in the far northern Serengeti, tackling the Mara River. From November, they begin their journey south again to repeat the cycle.

The stars of the show are, without doubt, the blue wildebeest. Their numbers create a spectacle of sound and dust that is overwhelming. Travelling with them are hundreds of thousands of plains zebras and Thompson’s gazelles. These three herbivores form the vast river of life that flows through the plains, each playing a slightly different role in the grazing process.

Of course, where there is prey, there are predators. The Serengeti is famed for its healthy big cat populations. Large prides of lions are strategically positioned along the migration routes, while the open plains are perfect hunting grounds for the cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal. Leopards are more elusive, often seen in the riverine woodlands, while clans of spotted hyenas are a constant, powerful presence, trailing the herds.

While the mammals steal the spotlight, the Serengeti is a world-class birding destination, with more than 500 species recorded. The plains are home to large residents like the ostrich and formidable Secretary bird. A rich variety of raptors, including Bateleur eagles and kestrels, are always overhead.

The migration dramatically influences the birdlife. The presence of so many animals stirs up insects, attracting flocks of bee-eaters and rollers. However, the most iconic avian players are the scavengers. The skies above a river crossing or a predator kill are often filled with circling vultures. At least six species, including the giant Lappet-faced vulture and the common Rüppell’s griffon vulture, form a critical part of the ecosystem’s clean-up crew, an unmissable and vital part of the migration drama.