Somali ostrich

Appearance

Though generally similar to other ostriches, the skin of the neck and thighs of the Somali ostrich is grey-blue, becoming bright blue on the male during the mating season. The neck lacks a typical broad white ring, and the tail feathers are white. The females are slightly larger than the males and browner in plumage than other female ostriches.

Distribution

The Somali ostrich is mostly found in Horn of Africa, specially in north-eastern Ethiopia and across all of Somalia. It's range corresponding roughly to the area known as the Horn of Africa. The Somali ostrich can also be found in north-eastern Kenya.

Status

A report to the IUCN in 2006 suggests that the Somali ostrich was common in the central and southern regions of Somalia in the 1970s and 1980s. However, following the political disintegration of that country and the lack of any effective wildlife conservation, its range and numbers there have since been shrinking as a result of uncontrolled hunting for meat, medicinal products and eggs, with the bird facing eradication in the Horn of Africa.

Behavior

The Somali ostrich is differentiated ecologically from the Masai ostrich, with which there is some range overlap, by preferring bushier, more thickly vegetated areas, where it feeds largely by browsing, whereas the latter is mainly a grazer on open savanna. There are also reports of interbreeding difficulties between the two taxa.

Habitat

The Somali ostrich is mostly found in Horn of Africa, specially in north-eastern Ethiopia and across all of Somalia. It's range corresponding roughly to the area known as the Horn of Africa. The Somali ostrich can also be found in north-eastern Kenya.The Somali ostrich is differentiated ecologically from the Masai ostrich, with which there is some range overlap, by preferring bushier, more thickly vegetated areas, where it feeds largely by browsing, whereas the latter is mainly a grazer on open savanna. There are also reports of interbreeding difficulties between the two taxa.