Ostrich Coloring Pages

Free Ostrich Coloring Pages: 49 printable PDF designs featuring ostrich behaviors and poses, cute and expressive portraits, and general printable sheets. Each page can be downloaded as a PDF to print or colored online in the browser.

The ostrich, Struthio camelus, is the tallest and heaviest bird alive today, native to the grasslands and savannas of Africa, where adult males can stand up to 9 feet tall. Despite being completely flightless, the ostrich is the fastest two-legged animal on Earth, capable of sprinting at speeds up to 43 miles per hour, and it is also the only bird species with just two toes on each foot, a trait that helps reduce leg weight and improve its running form. One persistent myth claims ostriches bury their heads in the sand when frightened, but this never actually happens. The idea likely comes from a real behavior: ostriches lower their heads to the ground to turn their eggs while nesting, a posture that, from a distance, can look like the bird has buried its head.

This collection spans 49 pages, split between ostrich behaviors and poses, cute and expressive portraits, and general printable sheets. The coloring angle ranges from simple standalone outlines to fuller scenes showing real ostrich behavior.

What’s Inside This Collection

The 49 designs group into three categories, from ostrich behaviors and poses to general printable sheets.

Ostrich Behaviors and Poses

Fourteen pages capture real ostrich behavior, from running and bowing to tending a nest of eggs. Warm tans for the legs and neck paired with black and white feathers work well here, reflecting the classic look of an adult male ostrich.

Cute and Expressive Portraits

Thirteen pages give the ostrich a friendlier, more cartoonish personality, from a happy expression to a simplified, kid-friendly design. Bright, varied colors work well for these playful designs, since they lean toward fun rather than strict realism.

Printable and General Sheets

Twenty-two pages are sized for a quick, single-session print, most featuring a standalone ostrich outline. Two or three solid colors are enough here since the outlines are simple.

What Ostrich Coloring Pages Do

Careful strokes for a long neck and small feather details. Filling in an ostrich’s long, curving neck or the fine detail of its feathers without crossing the lines calls for controlled, contained pencil movement, and the American Academy of Pediatrics points to this kind of precise coloring as a way to build fine motor skills in children between ages 2 and 7.

A chance to replace a myth with a real behavior. The ostrich is famous for supposedly burying its head in the sand, a myth that is not true. Coloring an ostrich page next to that real explanation, that they lower their heads to turn eggs while nesting, gives kids an easy, memorable way to swap a common misconception for an accurate fact.

A steady, repeatable rhythm. A 2005 study published in the Art Therapy Journal recorded measurable drops in anxiety among participants who completed structured coloring sessions, and the bold, defined shapes throughout this collection offer that same steady, low-pressure task.

Practice with two-tone feather shading. Because adult male ostriches show a clear contrast between black body feathers and white wing and tail tips, these pages give colorists a structured way to practice shading a single shape with two distinct, high-contrast colors.

How to Color Ostrich Coloring Pages Well

• Body feathers: Use Black for the male ostrich’s body feathers, or a soft brownish-gray for the female, matching the natural difference between the sexes.
• Wing and tail tips: White works well for the tips of the wings and tail on a male ostrich, creating a clean, high-contrast finish.
• Neck and legs: A warm, muted Pink or Tan suits the bare skin of the neck and legs, since these areas are not covered in feathers.
• Eyes: Keep the eyes a simple dark brown or black, and consider making them slightly oversized, since real ostrich eyes are famously large relative to their heads.
• Eggs: A pale cream or off-white works well for ostrich eggs, which are the largest of any living bird.
• Backgrounds: Warm tans and golds suit savanna and grassland scenes, keeping the background muted so the ostrich remains the clear focal point.

5 Creative Craft Ideas With Ostrich Coloring Pages

1. Savanna Scene Collage

Color several ostrich and grassland-themed pages, cut them out, and arrange them together on a poster board to build a full savanna scene.

2. Fact Card Set

Color an ostrich page, write a real fact about ostriches on the back, and use the set as simple flash cards for at-home or classroom learning.

3. Bookmark

Trim a small colored ostrich design to size, laminate or cover with clear tape, and punch a hole for ribbon to make a durable reading bookmark.

4. Speed Comparison Poster

Color several running-pose ostrich pages, arrange them alongside labels comparing the ostrich’s speed to other fast animals, and display the poster as a simple science project.

5. Greeting Card

Fold cardstock in half, mount a small colored ostrich design on the front, and write a message inside for a birthday or nature-themed card.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ostrich coloring pages?

Ostrich coloring pages are printable line-art designs featuring ostrich behaviors and poses, cute and expressive portraits, and general printable sheets. This collection includes 49 free designs available as PDFs or online coloring.

Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand?

No. This is a myth. Ostriches lower their heads to the ground to turn their eggs while nesting, a behavior that likely inspired the misconception, but they never actually bury their heads in sand.

How fast can an ostrich run?

Ostriches can run at speeds up to 43 miles per hour in short bursts, making them the fastest two-legged animals on Earth, despite being completely flightless.

How many toes does an ostrich have?

Ostriches have only two toes on each foot, making them the only bird species with this trait. Most other birds have three or four toes per foot.

How can you tell a male ostrich from a female?

Adult male ostriches have black body feathers with white wing and tail tips, while females have brownish-gray feathers, a color difference that makes the two sexes easy to distinguish.

How big are ostrich eggs?

Ostrich eggs are the largest of any living bird, typically around 6 inches long and weighing up to 3 pounds each.

Are ostrich coloring pages suitable for young children?

Yes. The simple, printable designs in this collection use bold, uncluttered outlines suited to preschool and early elementary colorists. At the same time, the more detailed behavior scenes work well for older children.

What colors work best for an ostrich?

Black feathers with white wing and tail tips for a male, or soft brownish-gray for a female, paired with tan or pink for the bare neck and legs, create the most recognizable ostrich look.

Start Coloring

Download any page by clicking the design. No account, email, or payment is required. Pages print directly from the browser at full resolution or open in the online coloring tool for screen use. Share finished pages on Facebook or Pinterest with the share buttons at the top of each design page.