Bird Album
Somali Ostrich
Struthio molybdophanes Reichenow, 1883
111 kgWeight
The Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes), also known as the blue-necked ostrich, is a large flightless bird native to the Horn of Africa.
Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Where and when it's recorded
Somali Ostrich has been recorded at 30 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Samburu NRKenya551 records
- Buffalo Springs NRKenya483 records
- Lewa Wildlife ConservancyKenya254 records
More places
- Tsavo East NP – Southern SectionKenya158 records
- Aledeghi Wildlife ReserveEthiopia142 records
- Shaba NRKenya129 records
- Tsavo East NPKenya96 records
- Buffalo Springs NR / Samburu NRKenya93 records
- Meru NPKenya89 records
- Buffalo Springs NR – Samburu Simba LodgeKenya71 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes), also known as the blue-necked ostrich, is a large flightless bird native to the Horn of Africa. It is one of two living species of ostriches, the other being the common ostrich. It was also previously considered a subspecies of the common ostrich, but was identified as a distinct species in 2014.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Somali Ostrich?
The Somali Ostrich weighs around 111 kg.
Where does the Somali Ostrich live?
Its breeding range: Africa: extreme southeastern South Sudan, southern, eastern Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and northern, east-central Kenya. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
When is the best time to see the Somali Ostrich?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Somali Ostrich endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Somali Ostrich as Vulnerable.
What does the Somali Ostrich eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Somali Ostrich in?
It belongs to the family Ostriches (Struthionidae), order Struthioniformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 111 kg
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
More measurements
- Wing
- 510 mm
- Tail
- 292 mm
- Bill
- 89 mm
- Tarsus
- 467 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: extreme southeastern South Sudan, southern, eastern Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and northern, east-central Kenya
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Struthioniformes
- Family
- Ostriches Struthionidae
- Genus
- Struthio
Other birds in the genus Struthio
Common OstrichStruthio camelus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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