Common Ostrich: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Steve Murray · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Struthio camelus
- Family
- Ostriches
- Size
- About 210 cm
- Habitat
- Dry savanna, semi-desert and open plains
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania
The key marks
The largest living bird, flightless, with a long bare neck, huge legs and a small head; males are black with white wing and tail plumes. Common Ostrich has pinkish skin on the neck and thighs, while Somali Ostrich has blue-grey skin there.
Voice
Males give a deep, booming call in the breeding season.
Good to know
It is the biggest living bird and a fast runner, able to sprint at around 70 km/h.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Somali Ostrich. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in dry savanna, semi-desert and open plains. It is especially common in Tanzania and Kenya. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.