Are Ostriches Dangerous? Kicks, Claws and the Real Risks

How does an ostrich attack?

The ostrich is the largest living bird, weighing 90–130 kg (200–290 lb), and its legs are built for running at about 70 km/h (43 mph). The same muscles drive its kick. Ostrich legs can only kick forward and downward, and the bird usually strikes while facing its target.

Each foot has only two toes. The large inner toe ends in a thick, hoof-like nail that is often described as up to about 10 cm (4 in) long. A downward kick with this claw can cut deeply, and the force alone can break bones. Ostriches have killed jackals and hyenas in self-defense, and there are reports of adults even killing lions while defending their chicks.

Ostriches can also peck and push with their bodies, but the kick is by far the most dangerous weapon.

How often do ostriches hurt people?

Serious ostrich attacks are uncommon, and most happen where people and ostriches live close together. One study of ostrich-related injuries in the Oudtshoorn district of South Africa, the center of the country’s ostrich farming, estimated that two to three attacks a year in that area caused serious injury or death. Farm workers handling birds face the highest risk.

Wild ostriches in national parks almost always keep their distance, since they treat people as potential predators. Visitors who stay in vehicles and follow park rules are very unlikely to be hurt. Captive and farmed birds are a different matter: some of them lose their fear of people, and a frustrated or territorial bird may charge a person inside its enclosure.

When are ostriches most aggressive?

Ostriches are most likely to attack in these situations:

• Breeding season. Territorial males defend an area of 2–20 km² (0.8–7.7 sq mi) and a harem of hens. They become bold and may charge any intruder, including people and vehicles.
• Near eggs and chicks. Both parents guard the nest and the young. A parent may first try to lead an intruder away by pretending to be injured, then turn to attack if that fails.
• When cornered. An ostrich that cannot run away, for example in a pen or against a fence, is far more likely to fight.
• When used to people. Birds that are fed by hand or handled often can stop seeing people as a threat and start treating them as rivals.

Warning signs

An ostrich usually gives clear signals before it attacks. Warning signs include:

• Hissing or loud booming
• Spreading the wings and holding them out from the body
• Raising the tail feathers and puffing up the body
• Swinging the head and neck, or walking straight toward a person with the neck held high

These are signs to move away calmly and give the bird space. Keep in mind that an ostrich is far faster than any person; read more in How fast can an ostrich run?.

How to stay safe around ostriches

The rules are simple and based on respect for a large wild animal:

• Watch wild ostriches from a vehicle or from a distance, using binoculars or a zoom lens.
• Never approach nests, eggs or chicks, and never try to touch, chase or corner an ostrich.
• Do not feed ostriches. Feeding teaches them to approach people and can make them aggressive.
• At farms and parks, follow the staff’s instructions and stay on the visitor side of fences.

If anyone is injured by an ostrich or any other large animal, seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 in the US, 112 in the EU or 999 in the UK, or the local emergency number elsewhere.

Is the ostrich the most dangerous bird?

Two birds are usually named as the most dangerous to people: the ostrich and the southern cassowary of Australia and New Guinea. The cassowary has the more fearsome reputation, with a dagger-like inner toe claw up to about 12 cm (5 in) long, but documented human deaths caused by cassowaries are very few. Because so many people work with ostriches, serious ostrich injuries may be more common in total. Compare the two in Is the cassowary the most dangerous bird?.

Seen in perspective, both birds cause far fewer deaths than many familiar animals. For the real ranking, see deadliest animals to humans.

Ostrich danger: myths and facts

Myth: ostriches attack people for no reason. Attacks almost always follow a clear trigger, such as a person entering a breeding territory, getting close to chicks or cornering a bird.

Fact: ostriches can defend themselves against big predators. A healthy adult’s speed, keen eyesight and kick mean most predators, including lions and cheetahs, avoid attacking it head-on.