Somali Ostrich (7 meters tall and 130 kilograms)
Somali ostriches are like fancy cousins of regular ostriches!. They wear regal blue-gray necks and legs, hence the nickname “blue-necked ostrich.”
The Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) was until 2014 considered a subspecies of the common ostrich, also known as the blue-necked ostrich. But in 2014 it was recognized as a separate species.
- Appearance: Distinct “blue-necked” plumage (grayish-blue neck and legs)
- Size: Large, though slightly smaller than common ostrich (up to 6.6 ft, 344 lbs)
- Habitat: Arid regions of East Africa (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia)
Top 15+ Biggest Birds in The World (2024)
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), is the largest bird in the world. There are approximately 10,000 species of birds present on the earth and they are rages from different sizes and shapes from the small bee hummingbird to the largest ostrich.
Ostrich belongs to the infra-class Palaeognathae. It is the tallest and heaviest – around over 2 meters in height (and occasionally reaches 2.8 meters), and weighs up to 160 kg. At this size, the ostrich is a flightless bird, it is known as the fastest animal running on two legs because its run-up speed is much higher than other animals and the speed of birds is 69 km per hour.
A diverse group of flightless birds called ratites involved the emu, rheas, and kiwi. Both the common ostrich and the Somali ostrich are two living species of ostrich. They are large flightless birds of Africa that lay the largest eggs compared to any living land Species. They are the fastest birds on earth as they can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h.