The largest bird occurring on the continent is the ostrich. It cannot fly and it carries its small head high up in the sky on a 3 meters / 10 feet long neck. Ostriches can reach a mass of about 150 kg / 330 lb.. Their neck and powerful legs are only barely feathered, whereas their body is covered by a thick plumage, being brownish-grey in hens, and black with white wing and tail feathers in cocks.

In Namibia, ostrich still occur frequently on farmland and open plains, their distributional range reaching as far as into the Namib desert. In individual cases, ostrich may be hunted.

Ostriches are grazers and browsers, but they also chase small mammals. A cock usually dominates a flock of several hens. Ostrich hens lay their eggs, which can weigh up to 1600 grams / 3,53 lb., in communal nests which are also taken care of in a joint effort.

Ostriches react courageously and intelligently to danger. While one bird will assemble all chicks around him, another bird will try to distract the enemy by playing "sick". The bird will leave the scene, the "crippled" wing hanging down, with waving steps, until it will finally collapse. During the whole performance the bird will not lose sight of its opponent. If the trick has successfully distracted the enemy, the "sick" bird will suddenly recover and run off at a speed of up to 70 km/h / 44 mph.

If the opponent is a predator, the ostrich will use his claws as an effective weapon. These claws are so dangerous that they can kill men.