Common Ostrich vs Northern Gannet
Struthio camelus compared with Morus bassanus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Ostrich | Northern Gannet |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Struthio camelus | Morus bassanus |
| Order | Struthioniformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Struthionidae | Sulidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 210.0 cm (82.7 in) | 93.0 cm (36.6 in) |
| Wingspan | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) | 180.0 cm (70.9 in) |
| Weight | 100000.0 g (3527.40 oz) | 3000.0 g (105.82 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — plants, seeds, roots, flowers, insects, and small vertebrates. Swallows pebbles to aid digestion … | Shoaling fish, especially mackerel, herring, and capelin. Plunge-dives from heights of 30 meters at speeds … |
| Clutch Size | 2-11 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Ostrich
Open arid and semi-arid habitats including savannas, Sahel, and dry woodlands across Africa.
Northern Gannet
Open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds in dense colonies on steep rocky islands and sea stacks.
Song & Call Comparison
Common Ostrich
Male produces a surprisingly deep, resonant booming roar — remarkably lion-like. Also gives whistling and hissing sounds. Females and chicks emit softer grunts and squeaks.
Northern Gannet
Loud, harsh 'urrah-urrah' grunting and croaking at breeding colonies on sea stacks. Also gives a softer 'karrr' in flight. Large colonies are extremely noisy during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Ostrich
Sub-Saharan Africa. Formerly also found in the Middle East and parts of Asia. Farmed worldwide.
Northern Gannet
North Atlantic, breeding from Newfoundland and Gulf of St. Lawrence to Norway, Iceland, and Britain. Winters at sea south to the tropics.
Conservation Status
Common Ostrich
Northern Gannet
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Ostrich
Males have black body plumage with white wing and tail feathers. Females and immatures are grey-brown. Bare skin on the neck and thighs varies from pink to blue.
Broad, flat bill adapted for an omnivorous diet
Northern Gannet
Brilliant white body with black wingtips and a golden-yellow wash on the head and nape. Blue-grey bill with dark lines and pale blue eye-ring.
Long, straight, pointed, pale blue-grey bill with serrated edges
About These Birds
Common Ostrich
The common ostrich is the world's largest living bird, standing up to 2.7 meters tall and weighing up to 145 kg. Despite being flightless, it is the fastest bird on land, sprinting at speeds up to 70 km/h. Ostrich eggs are the largest of any living bird, weighing about 1.4 kg each.
Northern Gannet
The northern gannet is a spectacular plunge-diver, folding its two-meter wingspan into an arrow shape to hit the water at up to 100 km/h. Air sacs under the skin and a reinforced skull protect it from the impact. Bass Rock in Scotland hosts over 150,000 gannets, the largest single colony of any seabird in the world.