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GEOGRAPHIC RANGE AND HABITAT
Up until the mid 20th century, ostriches occurred naturally in
southwestern Asia the Arabian peninsula, and Africa. They have since been
hunted to extinction except in sub-Saharan Africa; therfore,
ostriches are currently
restricted to drier and sandy regions of central and southern Africa.
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DESCRIPTION
OSTRICH, common name for a large, flightless bird, Struthio
camelus, the only member of the family Struthionidae and the order
Struthioniformes. It is now found only in Africa, but was formerly in the
Middle East, where it is probably extinct.
They have long necks and small heads, with
large eyes and short, broad beaks. They spread their small wings when running
and have long, powerful legs that are used for defense. The feet have only two
toes.
Male
ostriches are black, with white wings and tail. The white feathers of the male,
which are large and soft, are the ostrich plumes of commercial value. The
female is a dull grayish brown. The males have more than one female mate and
travel about in hot, sandy areas with three or four females, or in groups of
four or five males accompanied by mates and young.
Ostriches have been raised in captivity as a
source of food, and some people have even tried to ride them -- a risky
business.
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VITAL STATISTICS:
Ostriches
are the largest and strongest of living birds, attaining a height from crown to
foot of about about 8 ft and a weight of up to 300 lb. Of the 8,600 bird
species which exist today, the ostrich is the largest. Ostriches are rapid
runners and can attain about about 40 mph.
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DIET
Ostriches are very well adapted to desert life, getting water from
the plants they eat. They can survive without water for long periods of time.
They are herbivorous, which means they live mostly on plant
matter, but they occasionally eat animal remains left by carnivorous predators.
They are very selective feeders, taking the seed heads of grasses and certain
flowers and seeds. They sometimes eat locusts and other insects. An ostrich in
captivity requires a little more than 7 pounds of food per day.
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LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Ostriches live in
flocks of 5 to 50, and they are normally found in the company of grazing
animals like antelope and zebras. Flocks occupy territories of 2-15 sq km
during the breeding season, which lasts around 5 months. Smaller, looser groups
of 2-5 members are formed outside of the breeding season.
Another
characteristic of ostriches is that they are very fond of water. They
frequently take baths when given the opportunity.
Sometimes, in order to escape detection, ostriches may lie on the
ground with their necks outstretched. IIf
threatened while sitting on the nest, which is simply a cavity scooped in the
earth, the hen presses her long neck flat along the ground, blending with the
background. Ostriches, contrary to popular belief, do not bury their heads in
the sand. Their powerful legs are their main defense against natural enemies.
If cornered they can deliver a powerful blow with their legs.
Ostriches
do well in captivity and may live up to 50 years both in and out of the wild.
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REPRODUCTION
Exact pattern varies geographically.
Territorial males compete for flocks of 3 to 5 hens. Elaborate displays,
including hisses and other noises, are often used by males to intimidate each
other. Once divided into mating groups, ostriches in some areas use communal
nests to hold anywhere from 15 to 60 eggs.
The nest is a hole
scraped in bare ground. The females lay their yellowish-white eggs together in this single
large depression in the sand. The average egg is 6 inches
in length, 5 inches in width, weighs about 3 pounds, and is shiny and whitish
in color. Eggs take approximately 40 days to hatch. Caring for their eggs is
divided up between males and females. Males watch over them during the night,
and the various females of the mating group take turns during the day.
If there are too many
eggs on the nest, the female ostrich will roll the surplus eggs out of the
nest. A female seems to be able to recognize her own eggs and is careful to not
roll those out. During the mating season, males patrol and defend their
territories. When one male begins to enter the territory of another, the
defending male will "display" by raising his wings and flicking them back and
forth. Males also emit deep, loud "booming" calls and inflate their bright neck
skin as they patrol their territories. |
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INTERESTING
FACTS
1. It is of the Ratite family, which means flightless bird.
2. The Ostrich is the largest living
bird in the world.
3. The Ostrich is native to Africa, yet
thrives in countries all over the world.
4. This great bird
has two toes, all other birds have three or four toes.
5. Although an
ostrich egg is the largest of all eggs, it is the smallest egg in relation to
the size of the bird. The Ostrich egg will weigh 1600 gm and is equivalent to 2
dozen chicken eggs.
6. An Ostrich Hen can lay 40 -100 eggs
per year, averaging about 60 eggs per year. Ostrich eggs hatch in 42 days.
An Ostrich chick grows one foot taller each month until it is 7-8 months
old.
7. To soft boil a fresh egg would take one hour. To hard boil
would take 1 1/2 hours.
8. Ostriches were
first commercially in South Africa in the mid-19th century, where they were
almost wiped out due to hunting for feathers. Ostrich feathers were used in
fashion and costuming as well as in feather dusters. By the middle of the 19th
century, the practice of farming ostriches began to spread. This enabled
ostriches to be domesticated and plucked, instead of being hunted and killed.
The feather market crashed in 1914, a victim of World War I. After World War
II, ostrich leather and meat became viable commodities and feathers were once
again in demand.
Currently, the demand
for ostrich feathers has lessened greatly, and ostriches seem to have a secure
population. Ostrich breeding nested in the United States
in the early 1980s. The American Ostrich Association, formed in 1987 to support
the new U.S. industry, is a trade association with goals of educating producers
and promoting ostrich products. Ostriches are raised on small farms and on
large ranches. Eggs are incubated and hatched. During the grow-out phase the
birds may be kept in large paddocks. Breeders are kept in pairs, trios or
colonies.
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