Ostriches
Although Although native only to parts of Africa, the ostrich is still one of the world’s best known birds. This is partly due to its bizarre appearance, characterised by a round dumpy body, spindly legs and a long neck that extends upwards to a small head with a quizzical facial expression..
The ostrich holds many records. It is the world’s largest bird and it can run faster than any other two-legged animal with a maximum speed of about 70 km/h (43 mph). Furthermore, this flightless bird lays the largest eggs of any living creature.
The ostrich was once famed for its feathers, which were used as hat plumes. Now the ostrich is farmed for its meat, its skin and kept in zoos as a tourist attraction. It has also been trained to scare birds away from crops, to round up sheep, as well as to be ridden in ostrich races. The ostrich was first introduced into Australia in the 1860’s. As in South Africa, many of those farmed managed to escape and began to breed in the wild.
What do ostriches eat?
With its long strides, the ostrich is an efficient grazer of the scarce but nutritious plant, shoots, leaves and flowers and seeds on which it depends. Lowering its long neck, it accurately pecks up the food and then stores it in its gullet, before finally passing it down the gut in a large ball. This passage can be clearly seen, as it stretches the highly elastic skin of the ostrich’s neck.
Like many other birds, the ostrich also swallows grit and small stones with its food. These grind up the tough plant material which it eats, in the muscular gizzard – the ostrich’s second stomach – and so helps with its digestion.
While grazing, the ostrich regularly raises its long neck to scan the horizon for any signs of danger. It has acute vision and its eyes are the largest of any land animal in relation to the size of its head.
Ostrich breeding
The male ostrich makes several shallow nest scrapes in well-guarded territories. He pairs up with a female known as the ‘major hen’, who selects one of the nest scrapes and lays up to 11 eggs in it.
Now it gets a bit complicated. Up to 18, although more usually 2 to 5 ‘minor hens’ then lay their eggs in the same nest. The minor hens leave the male and major hen to guard and incubate the clutch.
However, as night falls, the male takes over the task of incubation.
The ostrich can incubate a large number of eggs, and 20 is not unusual! If there are more eggs than can be incubated, the major hen will roll some of the minor hens eggs to the edge of the nest where they will fail to hatch. Soon after hatching, the brood joins up with broods from other nests, with one or two adults guarding the whole lot. Only about 15% of chicks will live beyond a year which is when they reach their adult height. The remainder mainly fall prey to hyenas and jackals.
Ostrich facts
1. One ostrich egg contains the equivalent in volume to 20 hens eggs
2. Seven million year old ostrich fossils have been found it southern Russia, India and China.
3. One ostrich living in London Zoo swallowed a spool of film, 3 gloves, a comb, a bicycle valve, a pencil, some rope, several coins, bits of a gold necklace, a collar stud, a handkerchief and a clock.
4. Some African tribes use ostrich eggshells as water containers.
5. It is a common misconception that the ostrich buries its head in the sand. This legend probably came about because – from a distance – the tiny head of a grazing ostrich may not be clearly visible.
6. The male defends his breeding territory by chasing away intruders and displaying aggressively. Flicking his wings or raising them together. This threat display removes the need for more violent confrontation.
7. Ostriches do not put their heads in the sand!
8. Standing over 9 feet tall and weighing as much as 400 pounds, the ostrich is the largest living bird today.
9. Its powerful legs enable it to hit a top speed of 43 mph in a short burst and it has been known to kill with one kick.
10. Ostriches originated in the Asiatic steppes about 40 to 50 million years ago. They once occupied all of Eurasia and Africa, but today can only be found on the hot arid savannas of Africa.
Although Although native only to parts of Africa, the ostrich is still one of the world’s best known birds. This is partly due to its bizarre appearance, characterised by a round dumpy body, spindly legs and a long neck that extends upwards to a small head with a quizzical facial expression..
The ostrich was once famed for its feathers, which were used as hat plumes. Now the ostrich is farmed for its meat, its skin and kept in zoos as a tourist attraction. It has also been trained to scare birds away from crops, to round up sheep, as well as to be ridden in ostrich races. The ostrich was first introduced into Australia in the 1860’s. As in South Africa, many of those farmed managed to escape and began to breed in the wild.
What do ostriches eat?
Like many other birds, the ostrich also swallows grit and small stones with its food. These grind up the tough plant material which it eats, in the muscular gizzard – the ostrich’s second stomach – and so helps with its digestion.
While grazing, the ostrich regularly raises its long neck to scan the horizon for any signs of danger. It has acute vision and its eyes are the largest of any land animal in relation to the size of its head.
Ostrich breeding
Now it gets a bit complicated. Up to 18, although more usually 2 to 5 ‘minor hens’ then lay their eggs in the same nest. The minor hens leave the male and major hen to guard and incubate the clutch.
However, as night falls, the male takes over the task of incubation.
The ostrich can incubate a large number of eggs, and 20 is not unusual! If there are more eggs than can be incubated, the major hen will roll some of the minor hens eggs to the edge of the nest where they will fail to hatch. Soon after hatching, the brood joins up with broods from other nests, with one or two adults guarding the whole lot. Only about 15% of chicks will live beyond a year which is when they reach their adult height. The remainder mainly fall prey to hyenas and jackals.
Ostrich facts
2. Seven million year old ostrich fossils have been found it southern Russia, India and China.
3. One ostrich living in London Zoo swallowed a spool of film, 3 gloves, a comb, a bicycle valve, a pencil, some rope, several coins, bits of a gold necklace, a collar stud, a handkerchief and a clock.
4. Some African tribes use ostrich eggshells as water containers.
5. It is a common misconception that the ostrich buries its head in the sand. This legend probably came about because – from a distance – the tiny head of a grazing ostrich may not be clearly visible.
6. The male defends his breeding territory by chasing away intruders and displaying aggressively. Flicking his wings or raising them together. This threat display removes the need for more violent confrontation.
7. Ostriches do not put their heads in the sand!
8. Standing over 9 feet tall and weighing as much as 400 pounds, the ostrich is the largest living bird today.
9. Its powerful legs enable it to hit a top speed of 43 mph in a short burst and it has been known to kill with one kick.
10. Ostriches originated in the Asiatic steppes about 40 to 50 million years ago. They once occupied all of Eurasia and Africa, but today can only be found on the hot arid savannas of Africa.
