Skip to main content

Where to see

Where to see the Common Ostrich in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Common Ostrich at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Struthio camelus

See where to stay
Common Ostrich
Photo: (c) Andrew Allen, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Common Ostrich

Hosts have recorded the Common Ostrich at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Best hours of the day

  • The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
  • Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.

Where to base yourself

  • Western Cape

    Western Cape

    Anysberg · Rocherpan · De Hoop

    Self-driveGuided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger · Timbavati

    Self-driveGuided drives
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe · Amakhala

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape
  • Northern Cape

    Northern Cape

    Kgalagadi

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Northern Cape
    Northern Cape

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

KrugerAnysbergKgalagadiRocherpanDe Hoop

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

KwandweTimbavatiAmakhalaGondwana

Species

Struthio camelus

Records

5,139

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Common Ostrich on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Common Ostrich in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Common Ostrich at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and De Hoop Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

Where can you see the Common Ostrich in South Africa?

The Common Ostrich is most recorded in Western Cape (49% of records), Gauteng (12% of records), Eastern Cape (10% of records), based on 5,139 iNaturalist observations. 70 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Common Ostrich on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Common Ostrich?

The Common Ostrich is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

What is the Common Ostrich?

The ostrich or common ostrich (Struthio camelus) is either one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member(s) of the genus Struthio, which is in the ratite family. In 2014, the Somali ostrich was recognized as a distinct species.

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Common Ostrich

Every stay on the Common Ostrich page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.

See where to stay