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South African ostrich

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South African ostrich
Male at Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Female at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Struthioniformes
Family: Struthionidae
Genus: Struthio
Species:
Subspecies:
S. c. australis
Trinomial name
Struthio camelus australis
Struthio camelus distribution map
  South African subspecies (S. c. australis)

The South African ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), also known as the black-necked ostrich, Cape ostrich or southern ostrich is a subspecies of the common ostrich endemic to Southern Africa. It is widely farmed for its meat, eggs and feathers.

Habitat and distribution

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Male and female South African ostriches.

The South African ostrich is found in South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Botswana.[1] It lives in south of the rivers Zambezi and Cunene.

Threats

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It is farmed for its eggs, meat, leather and feathers in the Little Karoo area of Cape Province.

Feral population

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Feral South African ostriches roam the Australian outback after having escaped from farms in the 20th century.[2] The extent of their range in Australia is not known.

References

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  1. ^ Jarvis, M. J. F.; Jarvis, C.; Keffen, R. H. (1985-10-01). "Breeding seasons and laying patterns of the southern African Ostrich Struthio camelus". Ibis. 127 (4): 442–449. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1985.tb04840.x. ISSN 1474-919X.
  2. ^ "The outback ostriches — Australia's loneliest birds". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. September 2018.