BeakBrain
Menu
Bird GuideDaily BirdCamsTripsCommunityGet the app

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernPlantsShrublandScrapeHuge · 111.0 kg
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 1
Photo: William Warby · CC BY 2.0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 2
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 3
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 4
Photo: William Warby · CC BY 2.0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 5
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 6
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 7
Photo: Tony Wills · CC BY 2.5
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 8
Photo: randomwild · CC0
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus), photo 9
Photo: Justin Philbois · CC0

ID tip

The common ostrich is the tallest and heaviest living bird. Males stand 2.1 to 2.75 m (6 ft 11 in to 9 ft 0 in) tall and weigh 100 to 130 kg (220 to 290 lb), whereas females are about 1.75 to 1.9 m (5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 3 in) tall and weigh 90 to 120 kg (200 to 260 lb). While exceptional male ostriches (in the nominate subspecies) can weigh up to 156.8 kg (346 lb), some specimens in South Africa can only weigh between 59.5 to 81.3 kg (131 to 179 lb). New chicks are fawn-coloured, with dark brown spots.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Common Ostrich

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Common Ostrich

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 26 countries with regular records, and 3 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Kenya Namibia Tanzania Botswana Zimbabwe Australia Uganda Eswatini Ethiopia Morocco Mozambique Chad Cameroon United Arab Emirates Zambia Niger South Sudan Djibouti Tunisia Qatar Eritrea Nigeria Sudan Saudi Arabia Lesotho

Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany, Portugal, New Zealand.

About the Common Ostrich

The common ostrich, or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus Struthio in the ratite group of birds. The other is the Somali ostrich, which has been recognised as a distinct species by BirdLife International since 2014, having been previously considered a distinctive subspecies of ostrich.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Somali Ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) Somali OstrichStruthio molybdophanesThough generally similar to other ostriches, the skin of the neck and thighs of the Somali ostrich is blue-tinged grey (rather than pinkish), becoming brighter blue on the male during the mating season.

Watch the Common Ostrich on live cams

Okaukuejo Waterhole, EtoshaEtosha National Park, Namibia · NamibiaCam

Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.

Learn the Common Ostrich in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.