Camel Bird Reintroduced to Royal Reserve After Nearly 100 Years

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has reintroduced the red-necked ostrich, known historically as the camel bird, after an absence of almost 100 years, selecting it as a biological replacement for the extinct Arabian ostrich. The reserve said a founder population of five birds has been released into suitable habitats within its boundaries.

The Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus) once ranged widely across Arabian deserts before its early 20th-century extinction, driven by overhunting and habitat loss. The red-necked ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus), also known as the North African or Barbary ostrich, is the closest remaining genetic relative and is adapted to arid environments.

The reintroduction forms part of the reserve’s long-term, board-approved rewilding programme to restore historical biodiversity across its 24,500 km² terrestrial and marine area. Within this strategy, the ostrich is the 12th of 23 historically occurring species planned for reintroduction, reflecting a phased approach to returning lost species or their ecological equivalents to the landscape.