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  4. Ostriches

Species group · Birds

Ostriches

WAnimals has 2 species of ostrich, in the family Struthionidae.

2 species
1 family
43 countries
24 parks
Weight
90 kg – 156.5 kg
Length
2 m – 2.8 m
Lifespan
40 years

Ranges calculated from the profiles that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of ostriches on WAnimals

Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Common OstrichLeast Concern

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelus

43 countries18 parks
Somali OstrichVulnerable

Somali Ostrich

Struthio molybdophanes

5 countries6 parks

Conservation status

1 Least Concern1 Vulnerable

1 species in this group is in a threatened category according to the IUCN.

Where they live

Recorded in 43 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

  • Djibouti2
  • Eritrea2
  • Ethiopia2
  • Kenya2
  • Somalia2
  • Angola1
  • Benin1
  • Botswana1
  • Burkina Faso1
  • Burundi1
  • Cameroon1
  • Central African Republic1
  • Chad1
  • Côte d’Ivoire1
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo1
  • Equatorial Guinea1
  • Eswatini1
  • Gabon1
  • Gambia1
  • Ghana1
  • Guinea1
  • Guinea-Bissau1
  • Lesotho1
  • Liberia1

Where to see them

  • Addo Elephant1 species
  • Ai-Ais Richtersveld1 species
  • Al Areen Wildlife Reserve1 species
  • Amboseli1 species
  • Awash1 species
  • Central Kalahari Game Reserve1 species
  • Dinder National Park1 species
  • Etosha1 species
  • Fish River Canyon1 species
  • Karoo1 species
  • Kgalagadi1 species
  • Kidepo Valley1 species

Did you know…?

  • The ostrich egg is the largest in the world: about 1.5 kg and 16 cm long.

    From Common Ostrich

  • It can run at over 60 km/h, the fastest land speed of any bird.

    From Common Ostrich

  • Several hens lay their eggs in a single communal nest.

    From Common Ostrich

  • It was separated from the common ostrich as a species of its own only in 2014: the colour of the neck, blue-grey rather than pink, along with genetic and habitat differences, justified the split.

    From Somali Ostrich

  • Unlike the common ostrich, which prefers open savannah, this one browses among dense thorn scrub and is far less gregarious.

    From Somali Ostrich

Ecosystems

  • Savanna2
  • Desert1
  • Grassland1

See every species group · Explore the species one by one

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