There are two living species of ostrich: the common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes)
The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird
The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird
Males are generally larger than females, weighing 220 to 287 pounds and standing 69 to 9 feet tall
Females, meanwhile, weigh 198 to 242 pounds and range in height from 57 to 62 feet
Ostriches are the largest and heaviest birds in the world
Instead, ostriches are great runners and can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour
A step can be 10 to 16 feet long
They have long, strong legs with two clawed toes, enabling them to achieve this high speed
The ostrich has a long neck, prominent eyes and wide eyelashes
The ostrich has the largest eyes of any land animal
Their long necks and excellent vision help them see long distances, allowing them to keep an eye on predators
The ostrich has a unique plumage that is 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 habitat
Ostriches also swallow sand, gravel, and small stones that help break up food in their gizzards
Because they eat a lot of plants, ostriches do not need to drink water
Ostrich habitats include savannas and desert regions
A male used the black and white color to attract the female
It sinks to the ground like a bow, then waves and shakes the feathers of first one and then the other wing while moving its tail up and down
After this movement, he stands up and walks towards the female, spreading his wings and strutting to impress her
The dominant female will mate with the territorial male and they will share incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks
The territorial male is polygamous and may mate with other females
The other females can also mate with migrating males
The other females then lay their eggs in the same nest as the dominant hen’s eggs
The nest is a shallow depression scratched in the dirt by the male
The dominant hen ensures that her eggs are closest to the center and are therefore most likely to hatch successfully
A shared nest allows more eggs to hatch successfully for the flock
A female ostrich lays 7-10 eggs at a time
Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs, weighing about 3 pounds, 6 inches long and 5 inches in diameter
Only dinosaurs produced larger eggs
Chicks are about the size of chickens when they hatch, but they grow 1 foot per month
The chicks leave the nest with their parents a few days after hatching
At four months, their adult plumage begins to appear, and by six months they are about the same size as their parents
Ostriches reach sexual maturity around the age of three or four, when the black and white feathers of the males grow out
Ostriches live in groups, which helps them defend themselves
They usually occur in flocks of about 10 birds or just one male and female pair, but sometimes gather in large flocks of 100 or more
These groups have a dominant male, a dominant female called the “head hen” and several other females
The dominant male establishes and defends his territory
During the breeding season, solitary males may also come and go
In the wild, ostriches live 30-40 years
But in captivity, ostriches live up to 70 years
Ostriches have many natural predators, including cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunting dogs and spotted hyenas
Other predators, such as Egyptian vultures and jackals, may take ostrich eggs
When an ostrich senses danger and is unable to run away from the threat, it falls to the ground and remains motionless with its head and neck on the ground, blending into the ground
When threatened, an adult ostrich attacks with a clawed foot that delivers a kick strong enough to kill a lion
Humans also pose other serious threats to ostrich populations and their habitats
As human populations grow and expand, 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 still continues on a smaller scale
Ostriches are bred and hunted for their feathers, hides, meat, eggs and fat
Strict protection and management are needed to preserve the remaining ostrich populations
Conservation groups and government agencies are working to protect these populations
For example, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park works with the Niger red-necked ostrich, providing technical expertise and funding to develop and manage the birds’ breeding program
This will help to develop a safe and self-sustaining population in the country
The African Wildlife Foundation is helping to conserve ostrich populations by working with local communities to decide on a suitable plan to start tourism in the area
Sources: San Diego Zoo and African Wildlife Foundation
Ostriches are the largest, tallest and heaviest birds in the world
Although the ostrich is a bird, it is completely flightless
How much does the ostrich weigh?
A male ostrich weighs 250 to 350 pounds (113 to 158 kg)
Female ostriches weigh about 220 to 300 pounds (100 to 136 kg)
How much does the baby ostrich weigh?
They are small at birth, weighing only 2-3 pounds (090-136 kg)
However, they don’t stay small for long
By the time they reach 6 months of age, they will weigh close to 150 pounds!
The ostrich can run extremely fast, reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, while sometimes taking strides of up to 16 meters
An ostrich kick can be very powerful and has enough power to kill a human or even a lion
The average ostrich can grow up to 9 feet tall and live for 40-50 years
The ostrich has only 2 toes on its feet
All other birds will have at least 3 or 4
They can eat plants, vegetables and sometimes meat, including mammals and reptiles
~Fun Fact~A typical ostrich egg takes about 2 hours to hard boil