Rare 9ft-tall 'camel birds' released into Saudi Arabian desert

Five red-necked ostriches or ‘camel birds’ have been released into a Saudi Arabian nature reserve as part of a large rewilding project. 

The critically endangered flightless birds, also known as North African or Barbary ostriches, were introduced into the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, in the country’s northwest.

Their release is part of Rewild Arabia, one the most ambitious rewilding initiatives in the Middle East. The project seeks to restore 24,500 km² of habitat across 15 distinct ecosystems, and reintroduce 23 endangered or locally extinct species.

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The red-necked ostriches (Struthio camelus camelus) are a proxy for the Arabian ostriches (Struthio camelus syriacus) which used to live there. Arabian ostriches were once widespread across the Middle East, before overhunting and extinction led to their extinction in the early 20^th century. 

The red-necked ostrich is the closest living relative of the Arabian ostrich. It was chosen for reintroduction because it genetically and ecologically similar to its extinct relative, albeit a little bigger. Now, the hope is that the birds will flourish and fulfil a similar ecological role, including grazing and dispersing seeds. 

“Ecosystems can only be considered fully restored when lost species, or their ecological equivalents, are returned,” says Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. “This is why we consider the return of the red-necked ostrich a landmark step towards the reserve’s restoration and the establishment of a founder population for Saudi Arabia’s national breeding and restoration programmes.”

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The project has been informed by archaeological finds and local rock art which provide a snapshot of the animals that used to live in the area. Petroglyphs – designs carved into sandstone – depict herds of ostriches and hunting scenes. 

The red-necked ostriches are the 12^th species to be reintroduced as part of the reserve’s long-term ecosystem restoration strategy. Other species that have been returned to the landscape include the Arabian oryx, Persian onager, sand gazelle and mountain gazelle. 

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Ostriches are also known as camel birds, because they are said to resemble the humped mammal from a distance, and are equally adept at toughing it out in the desert. Fewer than a thousand red-necked ostriches remain, scattered in pockets across Africa’s Sahel region, so the new arrivals are precious.

The reintroduction is part of the reserve’s ongoing partnership with the National Center for Wildlife and fellow Royal Reserves, which seeks to restore desert ecosystems and protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and sea by 2030. 

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Top image: red-necked ostrich reintroduction. Credit: David Chancellor

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