Ostrich

Ostrich Facts
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Struthioniformes

Family: Struthionidae

Genus: Struthio

Species: Struthio camelus (Common Ostrich)

Subspecies: S. cameluscamelus (North African Ostrich), S. camelusmolybdophanes (Somali Ostrich), S. camelusmassaicus (Masai Ostrich), S. camelusaustralis (South African Ostrich)



Basic ostrich facts:

Ostriches are flightless birds that are built for running. They're the fastest bird species, with a maximum running speed of more than 40 mph (64 kph), and they can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride.

Ostriches can maintain a speed of 30 mph (48 kph) for long periods of time, helping them escape nearly any predator.

Ostriches are also the heaviest and largest bird species, weighing as much as 400 pounds (181 kilograms) and growing up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.

Female ostriches are brownish gray, while males are black with white wing and tail feathers.

They have specialized feet with two toes on each foot (all other bird species have three or four toes). They also have a 4-inch (10-centimeter) claw on each foot, which they use to defend themselves.

Ostriches are omnivores, chowing down on whatever is available. Their diet is mostly plants — especially leaves, seeds and roots — but they'll also eat insects and small animals like lizards.

Ostriches can eat things other animals can't digest because their intestines are especially long and tough and help them absorb nutrients. They also have a gizzard, which, along with the stones and sand they swallow, helps grind up the food they eat.

Ostriches are social birds, sometimes gathering in flocks of 100 or more (but usually just 10 or so). The groups have a pecking order, with a dominant male that defends the flock's territory and a dominant female called the "main hen."

During courtship, the black-and-white male uses his striking coloring to attract a hen. He slowly sinks to the ground, almost like he's bowing, then begins to wave and shake his wing feathers while moving his tail up and down. Then he approaches the female, holding his wings out and stomping to impress her. If she enjoys the show, she'll mate with him.

Male and female ostriches share the job of incubating eggs and caring for their chicks. Each female lays two to five eggs in a communal nest. The main hen puts her eggs in the center of the nest so they have the best chance of hatching.

The eggs hatch after about 40 days. A few days later the chicks leave the nest, which is really just a big scratch in the dirt, and travel with their parents. An adult ostrich will then take a chick under its wing — literally — to shelter it from sun, rain and predators.

Ostriches usually live for 30 to 40 years, and some live for more than 50 years.



Where ostriches live:

Until the mid-1900s, wild ostriches lived in Africa, southwestern Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Currently, though, wild ostriches are only found in desert regions in Africa.

Thanks to the commercial ostrich industry, farm-raised ostriches are now found in countries all over the world.



Conservation status: Least concern

Ostriches currently roam a very large range throughout Africa. Experts don't know exactly how many ostriches there are, but the species seems to be abundant throughout most of its range.

Ostriches were rare in the 1700s and 1800s because they were overhunted for their feathers, which were very popular in 18th century ladies' fashion. The birds disappeared from northern Africa until 1838, when ostrich farming began. Ostriches are still farmed for their feathers, skin, eggs and meat.



Odd facts:

An ostrich's kick is powerful enough to kill a lion.

Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand! If a predator threatens its nest, an ostrich will flop to the ground and remain still, laying its head against the sand to try to blend in with it. Only its body is visible, so from a distance, it looks like the ostrich has buried its head in the sand.

Ostriches lay the biggest egg in the world, weighing 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) and measuring 6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter. One ostrich egg is the equivalent of two-dozen chicken eggs.

Ostriches don't have the special gland many birds have to waterproof their feathers, so ostrich feathers can get soaked in the rain.

An ostrich's eye is the largest eye of any land animal — almost 2 inches (5 centimeters) across.

Ostriches chase the insects and small reptiles they're planning to eat in an awkward zigzag pattern.

The male ostrich warns its flock of danger by making a "boo-booo-boooo" call that sounds like a lion's roar.