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 typically larger than females, weighing 220 to 287 pounds and standing 6.9 to 9 feet high.
Meanwhile, females weigh between 198 and 242 pounds and range in height from 5.7 to 6.2 feet.
Ostriches are the largest and heaviest birds in the world.
Instead, ostriches are great runners and can reach speeds of 43 miles per hour.
They have long, strong legs with two clawed toes that allow them to reach these high speeds.
The ostrich has a long neck, prominent eyes and wide eyelashes.
Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal.
Their long necks and excellent vision help them see great distances, making them watch out for predators.
Ostriches have unique feathers that are loose, soft and smooth, giving them a “shaggy” appearance.
Adult male ostriches have black, white wings and tail feathers, while immature birds and adult females have brownish-gray plumage.
Their diets vary depending on the food available in their habitat.
Ostriches also swallow sand, pebbles and small stones that help grind food in the gizzard.
Because they eat a lot of plants, ostriches do not need to drink water.
Ostrich habitats include savannas and desert regions.
A male used black and white to attract a female.
It will sink to the ground like a bow and swing its tail up and down, shaking first the feathers of one wing and then the other.
After this move, it stands up and moves towards the female, spreading its wings and stamping its feet to impress her.
The dominant hen mates with the territorial male and they share the duties 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.
Other females then lay their eggs in the same nest as the eggs of the dominant hen.
The nest is a shallow depression drawn into the ground by the male.
The dominant hen ensures that her eggs are closest to the center and are therefore more likely to hatch successfully.
A common nest allows more eggs to hatch successfully for the flock.
A 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 approximately the size of barn chickens, but grow at a rate of 1 foot per month.
A few days after the chicks hatch, they begin to leave the nest with their parents.
At four months of age, they begin to show their adult plumage, and by six months they are approximately the size of their parents.
Ostriches reach sexual maturity at the age of three or four, when the males remove their black and white plumage.
Ostriches live in groups that help with defense.
They are typically found in flocks of about 10 birds or just a male and female pair, but sometimes congregate in large flocks of 100 or more.
These groups have a hierarchy of a dominant male, a dominant female called the “main hen”, and a few other females.
The dominant male establishes and defends his territory.
Lonely males may also come and go during the breeding season.
In the wild, ostriches live 30 to 40 years.
However, in captivity, ostriches are known to live up to 70 years old.
Ostriches have many natural predators, including cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunting dogs, and spotted hyenas.
Other predators such as Egyptian vultures and coyotes may take ostrich eggs.
When an ostrich senses danger and cannot escape from the threat, it falls to the ground and remains motionless with its head and neck flat on the ground, thus becoming one with the ground.
When threatened, an adult ostrich will attack with a clawed foot that kicks a lion strong enough to kill.
Humans pose other major 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 ostrich populations dwindled.
Ostrich farming has helped the population recover and still continues on a smaller scale.
Ostriches are bred and hunted for their feathers, skin, meat, eggs and oil.
The ostrich is listed as “Least Concern” according to the IUCN’s Red List.
Meanwhile, the Somali ostrich is listed as “Vulnerable”.
Strict conservation and farming is required to maintain the remaining ostrich populations.
Conservation groups and government agencies work to protect these populations.
For example, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park works with the red-necked ostrich in Niger and provides technical expertise and funding to develop and manage a breeding program for the birds.
This helps build a safe and self-sufficient population in that country.
The African Wildlife Trust helps conserve 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.