Ostrich
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Volstruis  OstrichStruthio camelus Kruger National Park |
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Description - The ostrich is the largest bird on earth; it is a flightless bird. The male ostrich has soft black feathers on its back with white primary feathers on its wings, and a pale chestnut tail. Females and all young ostriches have dull brownish feathers. Both males and females have unfeathered necks and thighs, with a blue or pink skin in males, and pinkish gray in females. They both have long, mobile necks, small heads, large eyes, long and powerful legs with two toes on each foot. The keen sight and sensitive smell, combined with the high vantage point of the head enable the ostrich to frequently detect predators before they can come close.
Genuine wild ostriches occur in northern Namibia and the Kalahari desert; others are descended from hybrids bred for their plumage.
Distribution - Ostriches live in the flat, arid areas of Africa.
Habitat - Ostriches reside in the savannah of southern Africa, typically in bushy areas.
Biological - Ostriches live in small herds naturally, but when farmed are kept in great numbers. A full grown bird weighs over 125 kg and stands 2.5 m tall. An ostrich may be able to run at up to 50-60 km per hour, easily outrunning most predators. The strong legs are also capable of delivering a powerful kick, that has been known to kill.
They are stubborn, and likely to abuse humans who approach too close. Ostriches do not defend their young with their lives but leave them to fend for themselves in the event of an attack.
Ostriches live to be 40 years old or more.
Diet - Ostriches eat shoots, leaves, flowers and seeds, but their diet also includes small animals such as lizards or insects. While they are eating, they raise their heads often to look for predators.
Breeding - Ostriches nest in the dry season. The male courts the female by brightening the neck and legs (blood surges to the surface), flapping his wings, stamping his feet and swaying his head. After mating has taken place the male scratches out a nest in the dust, in which the lead female will lay up to 12 eggs over the next 3 weeks; each egg weighs as much as 1.3 kg. Other females may lay eggs in this same nest, but only the male and lead female will guard and incubate the eggs. Incubation takes 6 weeks. Less than 10 percent of the eggs will hatch.
Due to predation, such as by the Egyptian vulture, the hyena and the jackal, only 15 percent of chicks survive the first year.
Ostrich chicks are fully developed when hatched, and are able to outrun a human within hours of their hatching. By the time they are one year old, they will reach their full height.
Voice - Their voice is either a loud hiss or a nocturnal booming roar.
Other names - BIH Crnog afričkog noja - Catalan Estruç - D Strauß - DK Struds - ES Avestruz - F Autruche d'Afrique - IT Struzzo - NL Struisvogel - P Avestruz - PL Struś afrykański - RU Африканский страус - S Strats - TR Devekuþu - UK Ostrich
Weblinks
The Big Zoo
Der Vogel Strauß (German)
Everything
Afrikanischer Strauß (German)
Ukrainian site (Russian)
Agraria (Italian)
Books
Ian Sinclair - A photographic guide to birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-553-7
Ian Sinclair et al. - Sasol birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-033-0
Kenneth Newman - Newman se voëls van Suider-Afrika. SAPPI. ISBN 1-868-12-758-3