Page 122 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

Ostriches are large flightless birds known as ratites found in the genus Struthio, in the Family
Struthionidae. There are two species recognised, the Common ostrich , which encapsulates three
subspecies*, native to sub-Saharan Africa, and the true species Somali ostrich , native to the Horn
of Africa. The common ostrich is the largest bird in the world standing at a height of around 2 to
3 metres and weighs around 150 to 160 kilograms.

*Subspecies
North African ostrich (S. C. camelus), also known, red
-necked ostrich or Barbary ostrich
South African ostrich (S. C. australis), also known,
black-necked ostrich, Cape ostrich, or southern os-
trich
Masai ostrich (S. C. massaicus), also known, pink-
necked ostrich or East African ostrich

The ostrich has a long bare neck that accounts
for almost half its body height and can be coloured
from a whitish grey through to a dark blue. It has a
small head with a large toothless beak, two big, 5 cm
wide, brown eyes – bigger than its brain – with thick
black lashes. Males and females have different col-
oured body plumage, with the former being black with
a white tail and the latter usually brown. Its main asset
however, is its long bare legs and its two toed clawed
feet. These are powerful legs capable of carrying the ostrich along at
a speed of around 72 to 96 km/h, outrunning any predator. But, if
cornered, with a single kick, they can deliver a killer blow on any
animal on the receiving end.

The ostrich is found across Africa in varying environments
such as grasslands, savanna and shrub lands of southern and east-
ern Africa. They are sociable birds and are usually seen in twos or
threes, small flocks or in large groups. They are also tolerated by
many grazing herds like wildebeest, antelopes and zebras, who al-
low the ostrich to move among them, scooping up and eating in-
sects and rodents disturbed by the herd. In return the ostrich with
its excellent eyesight and long vision will alert the herd to any ap-
proaching predators. At mating time a male will normally build a
ground nest and have a small harem of hens around him, managed
by an alfa female, who will check the eggs and discard some if they
are too numerous. This insures those remaining are successfully
incubated. Incubation is carried out by the male overnight and by
all the females during the day. Lone males wishing to take over the
harem will attack the dominant male, hissing and roaring.

Ostriches are omnivores and live primarily on a wide variety
of grasses, flowering plants, succulents and roots, and occasionally
will eat small animals and insects like frogs, mice, grasshoppers,
and locusts. However, with no teeth the Ostriches’ digestive system
depends on stomach stones – small stones it swallowed earlier –
known as Gastrolith, to grind and break down any food matter the ostrich swallows. With their di-
et being primarily vegetation they are rarely seen at watering holes, receiving most of their needs
from the plant life they ingest. Ostriches have many predators like cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunt-
ing dogs and hyenas, and their ground based nests, full of eggs, are constantly under threat from
predatory birds and jackals. An adult ostrich has the advantage of its powerful legs for both speed
and as a weapon. The young are not so fortunate. Instead they, and sometimes the adults, will
spread themselves out flat across the ground, their drab colours blending nicely into the ground
beneath them, camouflaging them from the predators.