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 ~30% · Possible
at Tarangire National Park
434 Verified sightings at Tarangire National Park From 2019 to 2026
7,573 Verified sightings across all 46 parks From 2019 to 2026
March 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 Tarangire National Park

Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Comb Duck
LC

Comb Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
White-faced Whistling Duck
LC

White-faced Whistling Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna viduata

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
LC

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna bicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hottentot Teal
LC

Hottentot Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula hottentota

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-billed Teal
LC

Red-billed Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas erythrorhyncha

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cape Teal
LC

Cape Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas capensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Maccoa Duck
EN

Maccoa Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura maccoa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Southern Pochard
LC

Southern Pochard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Netta erythrophthalma

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
African Pygmy-Goose
LC

African Pygmy-Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nettapus auritus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White-backed Duck
LC

White-backed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalassornis leuconotus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

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 Tarangire National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spur-winged Goose sighting in Tarangire National Park, based on 434 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

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

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