There are two living species of ostrich: the common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes).
Size and Weight:
The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird.
The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird.
Males are usually larger than females, weighing 220 to 287 pounds and measuring 6.9 to 9 feet tall.
Meanwhile, females weigh between 198 and 242 pounds and stand between 5.7 and 6.2 feet tall.
Ostriches are the largest and heaviest birds in the world.
Instead, ostriches are great runners and are capable of speeds of up to 43 mph.
They have long, strong legs with two clawed toes, which allows them to reach such great speeds.
The ostrich has a long neck, prominent eyes and fluffy eyelashes.
Ostriches have the largest eye of any land animal.
Their long neck and excellent eyesight help them see great distances, which allows them to look out for predators.
Ostriches have unique feathers that are loose, soft and smooth, giving them a “shaggy” appearance.
Adult male ostriches are black with white wings and tail feathers, while immature birds and adult females have brownish-gray feathers.
Their diet varies depending on the food available in their environment.
Ostriches also swallow sand, pebbles, and small stones that help break down food in the stomach.
Because they eat a lot of plants, ostriches do not need to drink water.
Ostrich habitats include savannas and desert regions.
Ostriches come from Africa.
The male used his black and white coloring to attract the female.
It will drop to the ground like a bow, then flap and shake the feathers of first one wing and then the other, moving its tail up and down.
After this move, he stands up and approaches the female, stretching out his wings and stomping his feet to impress her.
The dominant hen mates with the territorial male, and they share the tasks of incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks.
The territorial male is polygamous and may mate with other females.
Other females may also mate with wandering males.
The other females then lay their eggs in the same nest as those of the dominant hen.
The nest is a shallow depression scratched in the ground by the male.
The dominant hen makes sure that her eggs are closest to the center and therefore have the best chance of hatching successfully.
A shared nest allows more eggs to hatch successfully across the flock.
The female ostrich lays 7 to 10 eggs at a time.
Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs, weighing about 3 pounds, measuring 6 inches long and 5 inches in diameter.
Only dinosaurs produced larger eggs.
When they hatch, the chicks are about the size of backyard chickens but grow at a rate of 1 foot per month.
The chicks will start to leave the nest with their parents a few days after hatching.
At four months they begin to show their adult plumage, and at six months they are about the size of their parents.
Ostriches reach sexual maturity around three or four years of age, when males grow black and white feathers.
Ostriches live in groups, which helps in defense.
They are usually found in flocks of around 10 birds or just a pair of males and females, but sometimes they congregate in large flocks of 100 or more.
These groups have a pecking order with a dominant male, a dominant female called the “head hen”, and a few other females.
The dominant male establishes and defends his territory.
Solitary males may also come and go during the breeding season.
In the wild, ostriches live 30 to 40 years.
However, ostriches are known to live up to 70 years in captivity.
Ostriches have several natural predators, including cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunting dogs, and spotted hyenas.
Other predators, such as Egyptian vultures and jackals, may eat ostrich eggs.
When the ostrich senses danger and cannot escape the threat, it drops to the ground and remains motionless with its head and neck flat on the ground, thus blending into the ground.
When an adult ostrich is threatened, it attacks with a clawed foot that provides a kick powerful enough to kill a lion.
Humans pose another major threat to ostrich populations and their habitats.
With the growth and expansion of the human population, ostriches are losing their habitat.
Ostrich feathers have long been popular in fashion.
In the 18th century, ostrich feathers were so popular in fashion, especially in the hat industry, that the ostrich population declined.
Ostrich farming helped the population recover and continues on a smaller scale.
Ostriches are farmed and hunted for their feathers, skin, meat, eggs, and fat.
The common ostrich is listed as “Least Concern” according to the IUCN Red List.
Meanwhile, the Somali ostrich is listed as “vulnerable.”
Strict conservation and agriculture are necessary to preserve the remaining ostrich populations.
Conservation groups and government agencies are working to protect these populations.
For example, Zoo Safari Park in San Diego works with the red-necked ostrich in Niger and provides technical expertise and funding to develop and manage a bird breeding program.
This helps to establish safe and self-sufficient populations in this country.
The African Wildlife Foundation helps protect ostrich populations by working with local communities to decide on an appropriate plan to bring tourism to the area.
Sources: San Diego Zoo and African Wildlife Foundation.