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African desert
Common ostrich
Struthio camelus
The largest bird in the world. It cannot fly, but it can outrun almost anything. The male is black and white.
- Size
- Up to 2.7m tall: the biggest bird alive
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Dry plains, semi-desert and savanna across Africa
My spotter's list
Strides after you, and runs when you get well ahead. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the ostrich
SizeThe biggest bird
An ostrich can stand 2.7 metres tall and weigh more than two grown people.
SpeedA sprinter
It can run at about 45 miles an hour, with strides up to five metres long.
EggThe biggest egg
An ostrich egg weighs about a kilogram and a half, as much as two dozen hen's eggs.
ToesTwo toes
It is the only bird with just two toes on each foot, which helps it to run fast.
MythHeads in the sand?
Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. They lower them to the ground to hide, or to turn their eggs.
EyesHuge eyes
Each eye is about five centimetres across, bigger than its brain.
The real thing
Photos of the ostrich
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Look on open plains for a tall shape with a long neck. Males are black and white; females and young are grey-brown.
Lend a handHow to help
Wild ostriches have disappeared from much of North Africa. They need large, open, unfenced country.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
African savanna
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