More than 150 exotic ostriches and emus found their new home at OstrichLand USA, a family-owned ranch right on the outskirts of the quaint town of Solvang in Central California.
Last updated: August 17, 2026
The Scenic Surroundings of OstrichLand
On the outskirts of the bustling center of Solvang, where ample shops and gift stores decorated with traditional Scandinavian flair offer tons of Danish goods and sweets, sits a large, for the most part undeveloped parcel of land. It stretches as far as the eye could see… or as far as the distant Santa Ynez Mountains allow.
Despite their unapologetic manners, the towering peaks and rolling hills don’t disrupt, but add a special twist to the scenic landscape.
The place we so vividly described now and had wanted to get to even more eagerly while driving from Santa Cruz, Northern California, back to the sunny southern coast, is OstrichLand USA in Solvang.
Welcome to the Giant Bird’s Ranch
OstrichLand is a family-owned business that has been an essential part of Solvang’s entertainment scene since the early 1990. It moved once and changed ownership also once. Its current owners acquired the property with all its long-legged, long-necked inhabitants in 2003.
Over the past years, they have improvised, added more fences, improved the operations, and opened a gift shop where, apart from traditional souvenirs and oil, you can buy fresh ostrich eggs.
Today, the 32-acre farm has more than 150 giant birds. It’s home to some 80 African ostriches and 70 Australian emus.
Ostriches vs. Emus
Ostriches are the world’s largest birds. Adult ostriches can reach the height of 8 to 9 feet and weigh 250-350 pounds. Despite their heaviness, they can be pretty fast, gaining a speed of 45 miles per hour.
Ostriches are polygamous creatures. They do not mate for life. During the breeding season, one dominant male has its own “harem” that consists of three to five females. Hen ostriches lay all their eggs in one shared nest dug out by the male. The size of the nest can vary significantly, containing from about a dozen to 60 eggs.
Rooster ostriches incubate the eggs at night. With their black and white feathers, they flawlessly camouflage with the darkness and are best to protect the nest at this time. Hen ostriches take the day shifts. Their grayish-brown coloring helps them blend into the surroundings and guard the nest during the day.
This shift change lasts approximately 42 times, the number of days needed for an ostrich egg to hatch.
One ostrich egg weighs 3 to 4 pounds, which is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs.
Emus are smaller than ostriches. Neither emus nor ostriches bury their heads in the sand. This myth was born from a visual illusion. While incubating the eggs, these massive flightless birds put their heads in the hole in the ground (which is, in essence, their nests) to turn the eggs. This helps to heat the eggs evenly. From a distance, it looks like the birds stand with their heads buried in the ground.
In reality, though, ostriches and emus would suffocate if they had to put their heads in the grounds.
Location and Admission
If you can give these large birds a chance and enough time, you’ll be able to tell male and female species apart and recognize some of their signature moves at OstrichLand USA.
Location: The ostrich ranch – or a farm, a zoo, or even a prehistoric park, as the owners describe it – is nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County. You will find the place conveniently located less than a mile off Highway 101, between Solvang and Buellton.
Admission: If you are traveling by yourself or have a few companions join you on this little fun adventure, you can come to OstrichLand without prior reservation. Most days, tickets are available for purchase in person at the gift shop. On some occasions, however – it’s more likely to happen during the busiest times of the year – booking may be required in advance.
Following our almost missed opportunity to experience a curious phenomenon at Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz just a few hours prior to this due to our failure to reserve the spots in advance, we purchased our OstrichLand tickets as soon as we had a signal again.
Note: We paid $10 per adult and $5 per child. Admission rates, however, can increase on holidays and long weekends.
Feeding Ostriches and Emus at OstrichLand in Solvang
The best part of the OstrichLand visit is that you can engage with the flightless birds by feeding them. A bowl of food is optional, but hardly any visitor says no to it. Just like with the admission tickets, you can pay for the ostrich food online or in person at the gift shop.
TIP: While feeding the ostriches, be sure to hold your bowl in an extended hand. Both ostriches and emus are curious creatures. Generally, they don’t mean harm, but can peck if you get too close. It’s their way of communicating or giving a friendly kiss that may be hurtful to a receiving party.
If you arrive in late afternoon, don’t even assume that by this time the birds may be too fed. There are plenty of hungry ostriches and emus at OstrichLand at all times.
But the birds are not the only hungry animals.
The bird feeding grounds look too irresistible to some other creatures that, like ostriches, can’t stay away from free snacks. Hordes of wild squirrels congregate around the pens, patiently waiting to snatch up some food that the birds dropped. Their numbers may even exceed the number of ostriches and emus at the farm.
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