Designed by Hunters, for Hunters
The ostrich is the world’s largest and heaviest flightless bird. Native to Africa and available for game hunting safaris in various African countries, the ostrich provides an exceptional trophy for those hunters looking for a unique hunting adventure.
There are two species of ostriches, namely the common ostrich (Struthio camelus), found in southern Africa, and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) in East Africa.
Ostriches prefer semi-arid and arid habitats and graze peacefully amongst other wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, and wildebeests. Although their diet is mainly plant-based, they are omnivorous, enjoying whatever food is available in their habitat at that time. This includes leafy succulents, grasses, flowering plants, fruits, mice, lizards, locusts, and grasshoppers.
Lions, crocodiles, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and spotted hyenas prey on the ostrich, while jackals and vultures target their eggs. Their defense mechanisms include running away or attacking their predators with a vicious kick or two of their powerful legs, which can cause injury or even death.
Ostriches start reproducing between 2-3 years old, with breeding happening annually between June and late October or early November. Females lay 12-18 eggs in a shallow hole in the ground. Females will sit on the eggs and guard over them during the day, with the male reciprocating during the night.
Name:
Struthio Camelus
Male Weight:
250-300 pounds
Male Shoulder Height:
Up to 9 ft
Range:
Africa
Incubation Period:
36-45 days
Life span:
30-40 years
Pursuing the Largest Bird in the World
When on your game hunting safari, there is no doubt that you will spot this exquisite bird quite easily from a distance, but can you get close enough to target them? They have exceptionally long necks, measuring about 3 ft from the base of the neck to the top of the head. Their long necks, along with excellent vision, allow them to keep a lookout for predators – and hunters! They have beautifully long eyelashes and brown eyes on a small head, with short, wide beaks. Ostriches are large birds weighing 250-300 pounds and standing up to 9 ft tall! They have two-toed feet with long, muscular legs that can reach up to 43mph when sprinting and run continuously at about 30-37mph. An ostrich has long, loose feathers, and although ostriches cannot fly, they use their wings for control and balance when running or turning. Male ostriches have dark black and white plumage, while females have brownish-gray and white feathers.
Ostrich hunting trips in Africa usually see them targeted through the spot and stalk method or using a blind. Using their long necks and good eyesight to their advantage, ostriches are aware of danger or predators heading in their direction, making it difficult to get within close range of them.
The ostrich can be considered an exotic plains game species for a trophy hunter, as not every game hunting enthusiast seeks the ostrich, but for those who do, it is a unique African trophy and experience. Their long necks and excellent eyesight ensure that ostriches are pre-warned of any danger or predators heading their way. Long shots are usually called into place, as getting close to them can be difficult. The reward of hunting this trophy: A striking and unusual African species in your trophy room, that will be a great talking point about your hunting trip in Africa!
The general plains game caliber will be ideal for an ostrich hunt: 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06 Springfield, .308 Win Mag, 300 Win Mag. A fast, flat shooting rifle is ideal, as ostriches prefer open plains. Remember that these birds have extraordinary vision, so count on a long shot when preparing. Any plains game ammunition such as Barnes X or Hornady ELD-X are ideal, to allow for significant terminal damage but not destroy your trophy. A hunter who is only equipped with a big bore firearm such as a .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, or .458 Win mag should ideally shoot a monolithic bullet. Whether this is an expanding or non-expanding bullet makes little difference and is the hunter's choice, but always keep in mind good shot placement on all animals during your game hunting trips in Africa.
Search from our range of Hunts across various popular destinations in Africa.
Book Your Hunt
