Spur-winged Goose
Spur-winged GooseSpur-winged GooseSpur-winged GooseSpur-winged Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Ruaha National Park
15 Verified sightings at Ruaha National Park From 2019 to 2026
7,573 Verified sightings across all 46 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Spur-winged Goose

The spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis) is a large, Sub-Saharan African waterbird in the family Anatidae, which includes geese and shelducks. However, P. gambensis developed unique environmental adaptations, which resulted in the evolution of several anatomical features that are not shared with other anatids; thus, the species has been classified one step further into its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.

Adults are 75–115 cm (30–45 in) long, and weigh an average of 4–6.8 kg (8.8–15.0 lb) (rarely up to 10 kg (22 lb)), with ganders (males) being noticeably larger than the geese. The wingspan can range from 150 to 200 cm (59 to 79 in). One source claims the average weight of males is around 6 kg (13 lb) and the weight of females is around 4.7 kg (10 lb). However, 11 individuals that were banded in South Africa, were found to average only 3.87 kg (8.5 lb), with a range of 2.4 to 5.4 kg (5.3 to 11.9 lb). Another South African-based study found 58 males weighing an average of 5.52 kg (12.2 lb) and measuring 98.1 cm (38.6 in) in total length; meanwhile, 34 females averaged 3.35 kg (7.4 lb) in weight and 84.2 cm (33.1 in) in total length. Among standard measurements... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Comb Duck
LC

Comb Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White-faced Whistling Duck
LC

White-faced Whistling Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna viduata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-billed Duck
LC

Yellow-billed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas undulata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White-backed Duck
LC

White-backed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalassornis leuconotus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
African Pygmy-Goose
LC

African Pygmy-Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nettapus auritus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Southern Pochard
LC

Southern Pochard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Netta erythrophthalma

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
LC

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna bicolor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
African Black Duck
LC

African Black Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas sparsa

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~70%
2 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~60%
3 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~50%
4 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~50%
5 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~50%
6 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
7 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
8 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~40%
9 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
10 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~30%
11 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
12 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~30%
13 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
14 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
15 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
16 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
17 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
18 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~10%
19 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
20 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
21 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
22 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
23 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
24 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
25 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
26 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
27 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
28 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
29 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
30 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
31 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
32 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
33 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
34 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
35 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
36 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
37 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
38 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
39 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
40 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
41 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
42 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
43 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
44 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
45 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
46 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Spur-winged Goose in Ruaha National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spur-winged Goose sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Spur-winged Goose in Ruaha National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Spur-winged Goose in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.

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