The African ostrich is an amazing bird. Firstly, it is recognized as the largest - with a height of more than two meters, the weight of an adult individual can reach 180 kilograms. Secondly, ostriches cannot fly at all, although they have wings. Instead of flying, these interesting birds run amazingly fast. The speed of movement reaches up to 60 kilometers per hour, while one step of an adult ostrich equals a distance of 3 to 5 meters.
Studying the available facts about ostriches, we can conclude that this is a very original and surprising bird in its behavior. In Russia, this species began to be widely bred relatively recently, but ostriches have gained great popularity both among nature observers and among farmers specializing in the sale of valuable and healthy ostrich meat.
Ostriches are very good parents
Parents take very careful care of their young. If a predator attacks the group, the male tries to distract it until the females and cubs find shelter. At about six months of age, ostrich chicks reach adult size. They become sexually mature at 3-4 years. Moreover, their average lifespan ranges from 50 to 75 years.
Photo: Polyfish/Pixabay
Population and species status
Back in the 19th century, they began to practice keeping ostriches in captivity, creating special farms. This made it possible, in conditions of a sharp reduction in the total number of ostriches, to preserve the population of these flightless birds living in natural conditions. Nowadays, dozens of countries have special farms where ostriches are bred.
Special farms made it possible not only to preserve ostrich populations in the wild, but also to obtain expensive feathers and leather, as well as meat that tastes like beef. The lifespan of ostriches is quite impressive, as they live up to 80 years. Due to the fact that ostriches are kept en masse in captivity, the risk of their disappearance from the natural environment is minimal.
This is a very fast bird
This species is given long legs for a reason. Ostriches can accelerate up to 70 km/h. They perform well at long distances as well. These birds can maintain a speed of 50 km/h for quite a long time. Long legs could be a big disadvantage for an animal that weighs so much. It’s just that ostriches’ legs are located in such a way that the center of gravity falls on them.
2. Until the 20th century, wild ostriches inhabited Africa, southwest Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Today, wild ostriches live only in desert regions of Africa.
3. There are not so many subspecies of ostriches. There are African and Brazilian species.
4. Basically, these birds prefer open savannas and semi-deserts and live in families.
5.Usually one adult male keeps four to five females with cubs near him.
African ostriches
6. The African ostrich is a ratite flightless bird, the only modern representative of the ostrich family. Its scientific name translated from Greek means “camel sparrow.” This ability to survive for a long time without water was the reason for giving ostriches the name “camel sparrow”.
7. African ostriches live 45-50 years, sometimes up to 60 years.
8. The African species of ostrich is an aggressive bird. But all her aggression occurs during the period of hatching the chicks. She won't let anyone near her baby.
9. One adult male African ostrich weighs up to 150 kilograms.
10. The ostrich bird's day begins shortly before sunrise and ends shortly after sunset, with peak activity occurring in the first and last hours of daylight.
11. Ostriches are widely known in the world mainly due to their feathers, which are used for decoration. Ostrich leather is used industrially and is very durable. Ostrich meat tastes like lean beef, it is low in fat, cholesterol, high in calcium, protein and iron.
12. The ostrich is the largest bird that cannot fly. The chest muscles of this bird have a weak structure, and the wings are undeveloped.
13. There are two clawed fingers on the wings of ostriches. Since the bird runs quickly and moves exclusively on the ground, it also has two toes on its paws, and one of them serves as a running support, and therefore has a seal.
14. Ostriches are not like birds in everything; some of their physiological characteristics bring them closer to animals. For example, they excrete urine and feces separately, they have a bladder, they do not have a goiter, like birds, and they swallow food thanks to their long neck.
15. Ostriches are similar to birds in that they do not have teeth, and they need pebbles to grind food.
16. Ostriches are herd birds. The size and structure of groups depend on the nature of the area and the time of year. Usually, with the exception of the mating season, adults gather in groups of 5-10 birds, although solitary ostriches are also found.
17. To survive, ostriches were forced to resort to polygamy: several female friends are concentrated around the male, one of whom plays the role of the “main wife”. It is she who alternates with the male and incubates the eggs. There are also “secondary” females in the family who lay their eggs in someone else’s nest. As a rule, they do not hatch chicks.
18. Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. If a predator threatens their nest, the ostrich may drop to the ground and become quiet, resting its head on the sand to become less noticeable, and from a distance it appears as if the ostrich has buried its head in the sand.
19. Ostriches are tall due to their long legs and neck. This gives them the opportunity to be the first to see danger, but most often the birds prefer to flee.
20. Ostriches breed, like all large birds, fighting with rivals, protecting their females. But among all the females, the male chooses only one to hatch the chicks. The eggs are laid in a common nest, which the male makes himself, digging a hole in the sand or in the ground. During the day, the females take turns incubating the chicks, and at night they are replaced by the male.
21. Chicks in a clutch hatch almost simultaneously. The difference between the first and last is usually no more than three days. Sometimes the baby has to spend many hours to completely free himself from the shell. It helps to break up the dense horny growth on the beak.
22.Because of its prickly fluff, similar to bristles, a hatched ostrich looks more like a hedgehog than a chicken. For the first time in their lives, ostrich chicks can hardly lift their heads.
23. They do not eat for 24 hours and gain the ability to follow their parents only 48 hours after they are born. From this moment on, the chicks can already run away in case of danger. If they notice pursuit, they scatter to the sides, and then suddenly rush to the ground and freeze.
24.At this time, parents are trying to distract the enemy’s attention. The female runs in one direction, the male in the other; they both make great zigzags and drag their wings as if they were broken. If a predator begins to chase one of the adults, the second one stops pretending and tries to take the chicks away.
25. Adult birds are difficult to catch; often ostrich eggs or young chicks become victims of predators. After all, they do not yet have strong legs with which a bird can not only harm a predator, but also kill it.
Ostrich eggs
26. Ostriches have the largest eggs of any animal, which can weigh up to 1.3 kilograms and reach a length of 15 centimeters. One ostrich egg is equivalent to two dozen chicken eggs.
27. The wingspan of an ostrich reaches two meters (7 feet). Ostriches use their wings during mating rituals and to protect their chicks.
28. Ostriches spend the winter months in pairs or alone. Only 16 percent of the ostrich population lives in groups of more than two birds.
29. An ostrich has only two toes on each paw (most birds have four). The nail on the larger one resembles a beak. There is no nail on the second finger. It is believed that the small number of fingers helps the ostrich run so fast.
30. Ostriches do not have a special gland that allows other birds to make their feathers water-repellent, so when it rains, ostrich feathers get wet.
Female ostrich
31. Female ostriches have brown-gray feathers, while males have black and white wings and tail. They have a special shape of feet with 2 toes (other birds have either 3 or 4 toes). Also on each finger there is a long 10-centimeter claw, which birds use for self-defense.
32. If hyenas or jackals try to steal eggs or cubs by cunning, they will find out exactly how many legs an ostrich has. Because this inhabitant of the savannah kicks the enemy hard and begins to trample him.
33. The tall height of the ostrich gives a wide field of view, allowing the bird to discern potential danger from afar. This strategic position, combined with highly developed hearing and vision, makes ostriches natural guardians and pilgrims of the steppes. Their huge eyes, larger than those of all other terrestrial vertebrates, are also well adapted to desert conditions. Thick, long eyelashes, as well as a nictitating membrane, protect them from harmful sandy winds. And the wide ear opening, which picks up the faintest sounds, completes the perfect security system.
34. Ostriches are able to withstand extreme heat and even in the hottest hours do not seek refuge in the shade - their body temperature rises to 42 C, and thus they do not have to waste water on sweating.
35. Ostriches are flightless birds that have adapted to run quickly. They are the fastest birds and can reach running speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour. In one step, an ostrich can cover a distance of 3 to 5 meters.
36. Ostriches can run at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour for quite a long time, which allows them to hide from predators.
37. When night comes, ostriches, as a rule, return to the same place. Group members position themselves so that they can see or hear each other at all times.
38. In desert areas or during long droughts, you can see ostrich birds gathering around a water source. The young often form much larger groups, numbering up to 100 individuals. The structure of such associations is quite informal; everyone can join or leave them of their own free will.
39. To protect the ostrich chicks from the rays of the sun, the mother gathers them under her wings. Chicks remain a tasty prey for predators for a long time; the mortality rate among them is quite high. Up to nine months, the chicks go to a kind of “nursery”, where they are watched by one or more adult birds. Young animals reach full maturity only at three to four years of age.
40. Ostriches sleep very interestingly. Birds rest both day and night. They can simply sit with their eyes closed and their heads raised - the bird is simply dozing. Ostriches sleep soundly in a lying position, with their heads stretched out on their long necks.
41. Ostriches often graze next to zebras and antelopes. Animals themselves choose such a neighborhood, because by nature all birds are very careful.
42. A male ostrich can warn a flock of danger by making sounds similar to the roar of a lion.
43. Ostriches are omnivores. The birds feed on everything that can be found on the ground: plants; small rodents; lizards; insects. They do not hesitate to pick up the remains of the feast of predatory animals.
44.Water is not a life-giving source for them; they can do just fine without it. But if there is a pond nearby, they will drink and swim.
45. Unable to swim, ostriches roll around in sand and dust, risking contaminating their feathers. Dust bathing is a communal pastime, often initiated by the behavior of dominant individuals. This helps ostriches get rid of external parasites.
46. Adult ostriches are dangerous even for large predators - one blow from their strong leg, armed with a hard claw, is enough to seriously injure or kill a lion. There are cases when males, defending their territory, attacked people.
47. In the 18th and 19th centuries, ostriches were quite rare birds, as they were hunted for their beautiful feathers, which were used for popular attire at the time. The birds disappeared from northern Africa, but reappeared in 1838 thanks to farms breeding these birds.
48. Currently, ostriches are distributed throughout almost the entire African continent. Experts cannot say exactly how many individuals live in the wild today, but there are quite a lot of them.
49.Thanks to commercial ostrich farming, ostrich farms can be found all over the world. Until now, ostriches are bred for their feathers, skin, eggs and meat.
50. Man has long learned to use this interesting bird on the farm. Ostrich feathers were used to make fans and decorate headdresses. The shells were not thrown away, they were used for water containers, and wine cups were made from them. An ostrich harnessed to a cart successfully replaces a horse. Riding ostriches is man's favorite form of competition. Now these birds are bred on special farms to produce meat, skin, eggs and feathers.
photo from the Internet
Male emu performs a parental feat
Only the male incubates the eggs of the emu. He hoists himself on the nest, and the female, on the contrary, leaves him as soon as all the eggs have been laid. Hatching lasts up to 56 days. Moreover, no one replaces the male. Sometimes he allows himself to get up to stretch his legs and walks around the nest or goes to drink water and eats a leaf or blade of grass along the way. The happy father's diet is limited to this for now.
Emus lose up to 15% of their weight during hatching, but this does not prevent them from being attentive and caring dads when, after 2 months, spotted and fluffy babies are born.
Diet
The African ostrich has a special structure of the digestive system. A very long neck and the absence of a crop allow it to swallow large pieces. The stomach is thick-walled, there are no teeth - the grinding of solid food is facilitated by swallowed small pebbles and sand. The large and small intestines are long (8.6 and 5.4 m, respectively).
Birds are omnivores - they eat reptiles, insects, and the remains of predators. Vegetation becomes the basis of the diet of adult birds. They can go without water for a long time. Juveniles mainly eat animal foods. It is more difficult for them to survive without water.
How they live
The ostrich is a bird that needs company, and the more it is, the better its well-being. There are an average of 10 birds in a flock, but they can also gather in huge groups of 50-100 individuals. Despite such a large number of birds, there is always a strict hierarchy in the flock. At the head of the family there is a dominant male, whose main task is to protect the entire family. Along with him, the dominant female, or “main laying hen,” stands out.
Interesting stories of males courting females, when the “boy” slowly descends to the ground in front of his chosen one, feigning a bow, and intensively flaps his wings, and then extends them to the desired girlfriend, as if offering himself. If the offer is accepted, the lucky birds pair up.
The following facts about ostriches are interesting: these birds share the care of their offspring: the male and the female hatch the eggs and “raise” their children. It is worth noting that the eggs of the main hen always end up in the center of the nest, which is how “privileged” chicks appear. The father takes care and protection of the children; they are constantly under his wing.
On average, ostriches live about 40 years.
They don't bury their heads in the sand
The thinker Pliny the Elder was sure that when they see a predator, ostriches hide their heads in the sand. He believed that then these birds seem to be completely hidden. But that's not true.
Ostriches bow their heads to the ground when they swallow sand or gravel; sometimes they select these hard pebbles from the ground, which they need for digestion..
A bird that has been chased for a long time may lay its head on the sand, because... she doesn't have the strength to lift it. When a female ostrich sits on a nest to wait out danger, she may spread herself flat, bowing her neck and head to make herself invisible. If a predator approaches her, she will jump up and run away.
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Subspecies
To date, only 4 subspecies have survived that live in Africa. There used to be more of them, but due to the extermination of birds, their population has greatly decreased. Let's consider each subspecies separately:
- Common ostrich. The largest species. It has a bald spot on its head, and its paws and neck are colored pinkish-red. The female has whitish-pink skin instead of red. The egg of the common ostrich has star-shaped pores.
- Masai ostrich. Lives in East Africa. During the breeding season, its skin becomes bright red, the rest of the time it has a pinkish tint. Females have brownish-gray plumage and whitish limbs.
- Somali ostrich. Some scientists and researchers classify it as a separate species due to reproductive isolation revealed by DNA analysis. Female Somali ostriches are always larger than males. Their weight reaches 150 kg and their height is about 2.5 meters. The skin color of males is bluish-gray, while females have bright brown feathers.
- Southern ostrich. They are dirty gray and light black in color. The habitat is extensive: Namibia, Zambia, Angola.
Where to see them
We invite you to get to know these amazing birds better at the Izborsky Ostrich farm. It’s easy to find us, we are located in the Pskov region, Pechora district, in the city of Izborsk, the village of Zalavye. With us you can
- watch the ostriches,
- hear interesting stories about them,
- look at the little ostriches, and also
- try ostrich meat (250-950 rubles/kg).
Liver, heart, and neck are also on sale. There is a cozy cafe on site.
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Ostrich racing
Ostrich racing was invented by Kenyan farmers at the beginning of the last century in order to attract tourists. The new attraction not only pleased the guests, but also quickly gained popularity among breeders in Europe and America. For racing, birds are harnessed to carriages or jockeys sit astride them. Races with jockeys are rarely organized, since ostriches run quite fast, and it is not easy to sit on them and almost every start ends with people being injured. Ostrich races are held in a special area with a high fence and separated paths for birds. In Russia, ostrich races are rarely held, but lovers of these birds still have a chance to admire the spectacle in the summer months at ostrich farms near Moscow.
The process of taming a bird for a subsequent racing career begins from the very age, and only the strongest, smartest and not timid chicks need to be selected from the entire population.
Description of the breed
Ostriches have a small head in relation to their body size, a long flexible neck, bulging eyes with long eyelashes, and two legs with two toes.
Everyone knows that the African ostrich does not fly. But he runs very fast and loves to swim.
Ostrich chicks are often eaten by scavengers, hyenas, and lions. But adult ostriches are not so vulnerable, thanks to the presence of only two powerful toes on their feet, one of which has a massive claw. A blow from these two fingers is sometimes enough to injure or even kill even a lion.
The name translates as “camel sparrow”
The word “ostrich” comes to us from the German language, Strauss comes from the Greek “strouthos” or “strufos”. It was translated as “bird” or “sparrow”. The phrase “strufos megas” meant “big bird” and referred to ostriches.
Another Greek name for it is “strufokamelos”, which can be translated as “camel bird” or “camel sparrow”. At first, this Greek word became the Latin “strucio”, then it entered the German language as “strauss”, and later came to us as the familiar “ostrich”.
Interesting Facts
- The size of an ostrich egg, or rather its volume is equal to 25 chicken eggs;
- The ancestors of this bird were once very common throughout the world, as evidenced by the fossilized skeletons of an ancient ostrich found in the south of the former Soviet Union. This fossilized skeleton is approximately 7.5 million years old;
- Another amazing feature of this bird is the swallowing of even the most inedible objects; in a word, an ostrich can eat any object that interests it, from a pencil to an ordinary pebble. This is exactly what representatives living in zoos often sin with;
- The shell of an ostrich egg is so strong and the egg itself is so voluminous that some tribes in Africa still use the shell from their eggs as a vessel for water;
