Natural habitat of ostriches. On which continents does the world's largest bird live? Where does an ostrich live in Russia, what is it fed with and other features of growing an exotic bird

The African ostrich is the only member of this family. You can meet him in the wild, but he is also perfectly bred and grows in captivity.

Features and habitat of the African ostrich

The ostrich is one of the largest birds on earth. African ostrich weight in adulthood it reaches 160 kg, and its growth is slightly below 3 meters. The head of an ostrich is small in relation to its body, the neck is long and flexible. The beak is straight and not hard. The mandible has a keratinized outgrowth. The mouth ends right at the eyes. Eyes bulging with big amount eyelashes.

The plumage of males is black with white feathers in the tail and at the ends of the wings. The females are colored grey colour with white feathers at the ends of the tail and wing. The head and neck of an ostrich are not feathered.

The ability to fly in an ostrich is absent due to underdeveloped pectoral muscles and underdeveloped wings. Its feathers are curly and loose and do not create strong blades of fans. But the ability of an ostrich to run fast cannot be compared, even with horse speed. The legs differ in length and strength.

Many are interested in the question how many fingers do you have African ostrich ? African ostrich paw has two fingers, one of them is keratinized. It is supported when walking and running. The ostrich egg is distinguished by its big size. One such egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs.

African ostrich dwells in savanna and desert zones beyond the forests of the equator. Australia is very African ostrich-like bird entitled . Previously, it was considered a relative of ostriches, but recently it has been attributed to the Cassowary order.

African ostrich has two fingers

This one also has huge size: up to 2 meters tall and 50 kg in weight. African ostrich in the photo does not quite resemble a bird, but that is exactly what he is.

The nature and lifestyle of the African ostrich

Ostriches love to be in company with and and move by following them. Because of their good eyesight and large stature, they are the first to notice and give a signal to other animals about the approach of danger.

At this time, they begin to scream loudly, and develop a running speed of more than 70 km per hour, and a step length of 4 m. Little ostriches of a month old up to 50 km per hour. And even when cornering, their speed does not decrease.

When it comes mating season, one black african ostrich covers a certain area of ​​several kilometers. The color of the neck and legs become bright. He does not let males into his chosen place, and treats females kindly.

They huddle in small groups of 3-5 individuals: one male and several females. During mating African ostrich performs an unusual dance. To do this, he spreads his wings, fluffs his feathers and kneels.

Then, throwing back his head and laying it on his back, he makes rubbing movements with it on his back. At this time, he moans loudly and hisses, attracting the attention of the female. Even the wings get brighter and saturated color.

If the female liked the dance and the ostrich itself, she goes to him, lowering her wings, bowing her head. Crouching near him, repeats his movements, attracting other females. This is how a harem is created, where one female will be the main one, and the rest will constantly change.

At this time, ostriches become very bold and aggressive. When dangerous situation they run without fear to the enemy and rush into battle. They fight with their legs. The kick has a very powerful force and is capable of killing to death. Therefore, not every predator decides to meet with this bird.

There is a myth that ostriches hide their heads in the sand when they see danger. Actually it is not. The female sitting on the eggs, during a dangerous situation, puts her head and neck on the ground, trying to hide and be invisible. Ostriches do the same when they meet predators. And if you come close to them at this moment, they rise sharply and run away.

African ostrich food

Ostriches are omnivores. Their usual diet may include flowers, seeds, plants, rodents, small, animal meat, undereaten by predators.

Since ostriches do not have teeth, for favorable digestion, they swallow small stones that help grind and grind food in the stomach. Ostriches are able not to drink water for a long time, since the bulk of the liquid is obtained from the eaten plants.

Reproduction and lifespan of African ostriches

The laying of eggs of all females is made in one nest, which the male independently pulls out before laying, with a depth of 30 to 60 cm. So they can gather up to 30 pieces. IN North Africa a little less (up to 20 pieces), and in East Africa up to 60.

One egg weighs up to 2 kg, and reaches a length of more than 20 cm. African ostrich eggs have a good strength, pale - yellow. The main female lays her eggs in the middle and incubates herself, driving the rest of the females away.

One ostrich egg is equivalent to 20 chicken

The duration of the incubation period is 40 days. The female does this all day, leaving for a while to eat or drive away small pests. At night, the male sits on the eggs.

A chick hatches from an egg for about one hour, breaking the shell first with its beak, and then with the back of its head. From this, abrasions and hematomas form on the head, which heal very quickly.

The female breaks unhatched spoiled eggs so that insects flock to them and the chicks can feed. Chicks have vision and fluff on the body, and are also capable of independent movement. One ostrich weighs about one kg, and by the age of four months they reach up to 20 kg.

Pictured is the nest of an African ostrich

As soon as the chicks are born, they leave the nest and, together with their father, go in search of food. At first, the skin of the chicks is covered with small bristles. Plumage development is very slow.

Only by the age of two do males have black feathers, and before that, in their own way appearance they resemble females. The ability to reproduce appears in the third year of life. The maximum life expectancy is 75 years, and on average they live 30-40 years.

IN childhood some chicks converge and are not separated all their lives. If these chicks are from different families, then their parents begin to fight for them among themselves. And those who were able to win become parents for someone else's chick and are engaged in their upbringing.

Pictured is an ostrich chick

Breeding African ostriches happens in two ways:

1. The female lays eggs and breeds. Eggs, young animals, as well as adult offspring are allowed for sale.
2. Acquisition of young animals for fattening and subsequent sale of adult offspring for the purpose of slaughter.

Ostrich breeding is carried out in order to obtain: meat, skin, egg products, including shells, feathers and claw. It is necessary to breed an ostrich in mild climate zones.

In the summer, you need to keep them in paddocks equipped with paddocks, and in winter in warm rooms with no drafts. A prerequisite for keeping should be bedding in the form of hay, straw or sawdust.

Walking areas should have trees growing nearby where ostriches can hide from the scorching sun. It is very important to observe when breeding an ostrich sanitary - hygiene conditions. To find out African ostrich price consider the price - list of prices of one of the poultry organizations:

• chick, one day old - 7 thousand rubles;
• chick, up to 1 month old - 10 thousand rubles;
• ostrich, 2 months old - 12 thousand rubles;
• ostrich, 6 months old - 18 thousand rubles;
• ostriches 10 - 12 months - 25 thousand rubles;
• ostrich, 2 years old - 45 thousand rubles;
• ostrich, 3 years old - 60 thousand rubles;
• family, aged 4 to 5 years - 200 thousand rubles.

Despite the fact that this bird in nature runs through the desert and hot territory of Africa, Australia, America, it very easily takes root in conditions of moderate climate zone. Moreover, they endure the harsh Russian winters, since their plumage can protect against frosts of -20 degrees. Of course, they are not left outside for the winter and are kept in a poultry house, as their legs can freeze.

Under the ostrich farm, you need to choose a dry area, which will be far from flood waters. It is desirable that the site be in a secluded, warm place that will be sheltered from cold winds - this is the main enemy of the bird, since it can get sick in drafts. As for sanitation, there are several mandatory requirements.

1. The site should be located at a distance of at least 1 km from the litter storage, other farms, as well as at a distance of 2 km from the place of processing of meat, poultry waste. This is due to the fact that one of the most painful types of pets is the ostrich, this is a bird that picks up any infection. In his native environment, in the shroud, in the desert areas, the hot air kills most diseases, which is why they live so long. It is difficult to say how long ostriches live in our conditions, since it depends on the species, but not less than 15 years ( Australian) and not more than 90 years ( African)
2. On the territory there should not be ponds, other reservoirs, pets should drink water only from specially designated drinkers. They do not like moisture and dirt at all.
3. The soil should be loose, preferably clay-sandy, with the addition of shells. This is so that the bird does not get injured when running, cannot gain more speed, and also does not pick out its inhabitants (worms, beetles, etc.) from the soil.

It is not recommended to make enclosures more than 50 meters in length, as there will be a risk of injury. If you do not limit the space, they accelerate to 80 km / h, while very often they forget to slow down, they do it on the fence. It's best to break large area into several sections so that your pets run correctly, safely.

In winter, it must be kept in a poultry house. For this, the usual dry room, not necessarily heated, the main thing is to make a dry, loose floor, on which to throw a lot of straw or hay. Under such conditions, the exotic "animal" will easily endure the winter.

Is an ostrich a bird or an animal that eats everything?

There is a very common myth that Emu, Nandu and other breeds eat mostly meat, that is, they eat not only herbaceous plants but also meat, like animals. In fact, this myth is just as wrong as the popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in the ground when startled.

This is the most common bird that just lives in warmer climes. Its nutrition is not much different from or ducks, except that there is only one difference - they really eat a lot. To feed one such "hut on legs", it is necessary to give him up to 3.5 kg of food per day. The large intestine is very long (9 meters), fiber, fats are successfully broken down in it, water is absorbed. The cesspool consists of 3 chambers, which is why this bird is unique in its kind: they excrete feces and urine separately, like animals, and not like all the inhabitants of the poultry house. Total length intestinal tract- 18 meters, any greens are perfectly digested in it, even very heavy food.

The ostrich is a very voracious bird, it eats up to 2.5% of its mass in adulthood, and young animals eat 3.9-4.1% of their own weight. The only advantage is that it quickly gains weight, the feed does not go “down the pipe”. In one year, they grow by 70% of their maximum weight. I.e African an ostrich will gain 100-120 kg in 1 year, and Australian up to 50-70 kg. You can feed grains and herbs, millet, oilcake, give fish, fruits, including apples, apricots, mulberries and pears. They eat vegetables: pumpkin, cucumbers, watermelons, beets (regular and sugar). You can give exactly the same feed as with or pigs.

If you don't know what an ostrich looks like when it's eaten enough, look at its behavior. Hungry individuals are aggressive, approach the feeding place, show activity, flap their wings, emit different sounds. If they had a hearty meal, they stand half-asleep aside, they can sit down under the sun, doze off. It is not worth overfeeding adults; you need to give them exactly as many vitamins and minerals as their body requires. Your attention daily rate for feeding:

Many are afraid to start a business because they fear that they will not be able to figure out how to breed ostriches on their own. In fact, this process is not difficult, it is much easier than breeding horses or geese. In order for everything to work out, you need to know a few important points which we will describe below.

1. Places for building nests must be taken away immediately, but it is better to do it yourself, as they can pull them out in very inconvenient places, for example, under the hedge itself, in stones, and the like. It will not be difficult for you to dig a small depression, throw hay there.
2. It is necessary to maintain feeding during laying, do not change portions, products. Any innovations can stop laying. It is advisable to accustom to calcined food even before laying, since the egg shell removes almost all calcium from the body.
3. Males and females must be kept in different rooms or paddocks, then mating, when you put them in one area, will be much more productive, faster. If you keep them in the same territory, they begin to mate ahead of time, this process is delayed, adversely affects the laying of eggs - there are much fewer of them.
4. During mating and laying eggs, you should not frighten the bird, it must be calm. It is also not recommended to enter the enclosure to them, to annoy them with unpleasant sounds, actions. They are not aggressive, but may lash out if their offspring are in danger.
5. The puberty of the female will be in 2.5 years, the males will be approximately in 3-3.5 years, but this depends not only on age, but also on the weight and quality of feeding. If the body has enough of everything, they begin to mate much faster, perhaps even after 2 years.
6. First, the female lays 20 eggs, fertilization is 65%, then these figures increase.
7. The sexual potential of a male is often determined by the color of the beak and shins - the red color indicates his maturity, readiness for the sexual process, then you can mate.
8. The ratio of males and females is almost equal to 1:1 or 1:2, if you already have some breeding experience, you know how to correctly determine puberty.
9. To increase the period of laying eggs, they are taken from the nest, leaving 3-4 pieces, because if there are 15-20 of them, the female will immediately sit on the nest and stop laying eggs.

If you follow these recommendations and take into account all the features of reproduction, your business will become profitable, and "pets" will bring a lot of pleasure from breeding them. And remember that an ostrich is an ordinary bird that can also be grown on a Russian farm without fear.

Where to sell an ostrich or what can be taken from it?

Many people think that the profit can only be obtained from the sale of meat, but, in fact, it is it that is the cheapest product. The most valued is the skin from which they are made. Leather Products, it has excellent strength indicators, meets the requirements of even the most demanding customers. One square meter skins will cost at least 350 dollars, so than more bird the more you will profit from it.

It is very profitable to sell eggs, since one costs about 400-500 rubles, depending on its weight and the place where you will take it. The most profitable they can be realized in restaurants, as well as for souvenirs. Lamps, elements of decorating the room, vases, dishes are made from them.

The liver has a separate value. Its cost of at least 2,000 rubles per kilogram in a restaurant is considered a delicacy. 1 individual gives up to 2-2.5 kg of liver, which is very beneficial. With successful implementation, you can get +5000 rubles from one ostrich.

Beak, nails buy pharmaceutical companies to manufacture medicines against cardiovascular diseases. They make expensive face masks, as well as skin lifting creams. Brisket fat is also used as an anti-aging cream.

Feathers are an equally expensive product, high-quality pillows, liners for winter clothes, stuffing for blankets. They have hypoallergenic properties, perfectly retain heat, while allowing air to pass through. In such clothes, the body constantly breathes, feels comfortable.

Since childhood, everyone has known the fastest and flightless bird - the ostrich. And even now, children, watching funny cartoons with the participation of these birds, ask adults questions: “What kind of bird is this and where does it live?” And to answer the question: "Where do ostriches live?" We invite readers to read this article.

This wonderful bird lives where there are open spaces and greenery. Ostriches cannot fly, although they have large feathers. Their speed can reach 70 km / h, but on average no more than 50 km / h. Therefore, birds live only in the savannah and are almost never found in any other natural zone.

Savannah

Africa has always been considered the historical homeland of ostriches, there are also Australian species of this bird, but in Australia the runner lives in the savannah. Why this particular habitat? It's so simple, ostriches are birds that love to run, and from enemies that are larger than them, all that remains is how to run away. And based on this, we can say with confidence that in the forest they will not be able to pick up the speed that an ostrich can develop on a plain.

It is also easy for birds to hide in the savannah. They fall to the ground and stretch their necks, hence the well-known proverb about hiding their heads in the sand. Also, thanks to the gray plumage, female ostriches are perfectly camouflaged when hatching eggs. But runners do not live in dense thickets and swampy places, they try to avoid such places.

The climate in the savannah is dry, there is no rain for a long time, and then for several months it will pour without ceasing. During the day the air temperature rises quite high, but the nights can be cold. Long-legged birds coped with these quite well. During the day, they fan themselves with large wings, thereby lowering their body temperature, and at night they lower their wings below the body, on their legs, warming the bare parts of the body.

Vegetation in the savannah is sparse. It is in this zone that low growing herbs from narrow leaves belonging to the cereal family and sometimes they are covered with a special waxy coating that retains life-giving moisture in plants. There are also undersized bushes, but they are not interesting for birds, on the contrary, runners avoid them, they are afraid to damage their eyes.

Water in the savannah in dry times is under the crust of the dried layer of the earth. Thanks to powerful paws, ostriches break the dried layer and pull out a small hole in which required water. The whole family drinks from it - a male and several females with chicks.

Do ostriches live in the desert?

One can unequivocally answer that ostriches do not live in the desert. It's a real inconvenience for them. Unsteady sand does not allow the runner to gain normal speed, so this natural area they avoid. Although it was noticed by naturalists that during the period of incubation of eggs, families of ostriches, on the contrary, live on the outskirts of deserts, where solid soil is still found and there is at least some vegetation.

Photo gallery

Latin name Struthio camelus
English name ostrich
Order: Ostrich-like Struthioniformes
Family: Ostrich Struthionidae

A ratite flightless bird, the only representative of the ostrich family. His scientific name translated from Greek means "sparrow-camel".

conservation status

The African ostrich is one of the least endangered species. Ostriches are actively bred in captivity.

View and person

Beautiful lush steering and flight feathers of ostriches have been used for making ladies' fans and decorating hats since ancient times. As a result of predatory prey, a huge number of ostriches were destroyed - in the XVIII - early XIX centuries they almost disappeared from the face of the earth. Fortunately, in the middle of the 19th century, they began to be bred on farms for leather and meat. This saved the species from complete destruction, but the Middle Eastern subspecies of the ostrich was still exterminated. Currently, ostriches are bred in 50 countries around the world, including countries with cold climates such as Sweden and Russia. But most of the farms are still in Africa. In addition to skin and meat, ostrich eggs are also used. Of all birds, ostriches have the largest eggs. One egg can weigh 1.5 kg! In order to eat such eggs at home, they are too large, so they are mainly used by restaurants. But in relation to the size of the body of a bird, ostrich eggs ... are the smallest!

Ostrich eggs have become a favorite object for painting and artistic carving.

Ostriches are very strong birds, they can be ridden, in many countries ostrich races are organized for the entertainment of the public. The rider sits astride an ostrich, and the birds run along a peculiar corridor fenced with bars. But since ostriches are aggressive birds and almost untrainable, such entertainment is not very widespread.

Spreading

Ostriches live on African continent north and south of the equatorial forest zone. They inhabit open spaces savannas, dry woodlands and semi-deserts. Dense thickets, wetlands and deserts with quicksand are avoided by ostriches, since it is impossible to run fast in such biotopes.

Appearance

The African ostrich is the largest modern bird. The growth of individual individuals reaches 270 cm, and the weight is 160 kg! With such dimensions, ostriches cannot fly, they belong to flightless birds. Their wings are underdeveloped, but their legs are very powerful and long. There are only two fingers on the feet, one of which ends in a particularly powerful, hoof-shaped claw, the other finger is smaller and does not have a claw. The long neck is crowned with a disproportionately small head with huge eyes, pubescent with thick eyelashes. The beak is not very large, straight, the mouth opening reaches the eyes.

The plumage of an ostrich is loose, the barbs of the feather are not linked to each other, so the feather does not form a dense fan. The neck, head and legs are devoid of plumage, there is also an unfeathered area on the chest.

Ostriches have pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, males and females clearly differ from each other. The plumage color of the male is black, tail and flight feathers are white, very beautiful. In different subspecies, the beak and paws of males may have bright markings or a solid bright color that intensifies during the mating season. In females, the plumage, neck and legs are of a uniform grayish-brown color.

Diet and feeding behavior

Ostriches feed on everything that can be found on earth: seeds, fruits and green parts of plants, insects, small vertebrates, the remnants of the meal of birds of prey, even small turtles are all for the future. Ostriches do not have teeth, so they swallow small stones to better grind their food. The pebbles help grind food in the stomach. Ostriches can go a long time without a watering hole, because they get water from plants. However, on occasion they willingly drink and even bathe.

In ostriches, urine is excreted from the body in liquid form. In flying birds, the products of the digestive tract and kidneys are excreted together, in the form of a semi-liquid substance of black and white color.

Vocalization

Ostriches can hiss, and even roar as they force air through their throats.

social behavior

Outside of the breeding season, ostriches are kept in small groups or families. The family usually consists of a male, several females and chicks. Often ostriches graze together with ungulates such as zebras and antelopes. Thanks to high growth and good eyesight, ostriches notice danger before others and take flight, other animals take advantage of this, noticing the reaction of ostriches, they also run away.

Ostriches can reach speeds of up to 70 km per hour! Even chicks at the age of 1 month can run at a speed of 50 km per hour.

The widespread myth that an ostrich hides its head in the sand when frightened is not true. The ostrich is not at all defenseless. A kick from his foot can be fatal to an attacker. In addition, ostriches are very aggressive. The soil in the habitats of ostriches is dense and it is unlikely that it will be possible to hide your head in it on a grand scale. And even if it were possible, such a “method of defense” does not make biological sense, since in this case the ostrich would certainly become the prey of a predator.

reproduction

During the mating season, the male occupies an area of ​​several square kilometers. The skin of the neck and legs during this period acquires bright color. The owner of the site resolutely drives away other males, and treats the females very favorably. To attract females, the male sits on his paws, spreads his wings and seems to rub his head against his back, while he sways from side to side. The female, if she liked the male, goes in his direction, lowering her wings to the ground and bowing low, then she sits on the ground and repeats the movements of the male. Males try to attract as many females as possible.

To build a nest, the male makes a shallow hole in the ground, where all the females of his harem lay their eggs. Each female can lay 7 - 9 eggs, the total clutch is 15 - 25. Then the dominant female drives out all the other females and, together with the male, proceeds to incubate. The female is near the nest during the day, because she has a protective color, and the male at night. Moreover, during the day the eggs should not be heated, but rather covered from the hot African sun.

In those places where there is an intensive hunt for male ostriches, in pursuit of their beautiful white feathers, there are many more females per male than is normal. In this case, up to 50 eggs accumulate in one nest. The bird, of course, cannot cover all these eggs with its body, they die. But if everything goes well, the clutch is of a normal size, and the male took good care of it, then after a month and a half, the chicks begin to hatch. The shell of ostrich eggs is very strong and the chick sometimes has to hammer it from the inside for several hours to make a hole. Then he needs to expand this hole in order to get out of the egg.

Ostriches are born sighted, covered with brownish hard bristles. Their head and neck are decorated with camouflage stripes. After a short time, they are already able to follow an adult bird. The male leads the chicks, who jealously takes care of them. If two fathers with many children meet and the broods are mixed, then the males fight for this large brood. The winner takes care of all the chicks. It is for this reason that chicks of different ages go with one male.

Feathers in chicks appear in the second month of life, and adult plumage by two years.

During the breeding season, ostriches become very aggressive. At the sight of danger, they do not run away, as usual, but on the contrary, they go to the aggressor. First, the ostrich tries to scare the enemy by using a "psychic attack": it spreads its wings, waves them and runs towards the attacker. If the enemy is not afraid and does not leave, the ostrich attacks and kicks. A blow from his foot can kill or maim even a lion, which is why no one in Africa fights an ostrich. But there are cunning people who take advantage of the fact that ostriches are not very smart birds. These tricksters are hyenas and jackals. These predators work together to get food. In this case, you can share the responsibilities: some distract the ostrich from the nest, while others at this time can drag the eggs.

Lifespan

The average life expectancy of African ostriches is 30-40 years, but some can live up to 50 and even up to 75 years!

History of Life at the Zoo

African ostriches have been kept in the Moscow Zoo almost from the very beginning of its existence.

These birds are quite unpretentious and hardy, they can walk even in winter, although they definitely need a warm pavilion.

At present, the ostrich is exhibited at the Moscow Zoo on new territory in the Animals of Africa pavilion. Our ostrich Marfa, born in 2005, lives with us. Marfa made friends with a female giraffe, lives with her in the same enclosure, and they spend all the time together. If for some reason they are separated, both miss each other. In the summer, when all African animals can walk for a long time in a large outdoor enclosure, Marfa and her friend the giraffe play catch-up, sometimes a zebra joins them.

Since the ostrich is an omnivore, there are no feeding problems. In the zoo, the ostrich receives compound feed and fresh food: carrots, potatoes, beets, apples, fresh and dry branches and mice. In the summer, in the outdoor enclosure, Marfa nibbles grass with pleasure.

Since in nature ostriches swallow pebbles to better grind food in the stomach, in captivity they can swallow various foreign objects: nails, pieces of plastic, glass, so zoologists carefully monitor that ostriches do not have any dangerous objects in the enclosure.

Ostriches are the largest birds in the world, which were previously mistaken for nandu and emus. They are separated by scientists into separate orders, the representatives of which are American and Australian birds, highlighting only the African species as real ostriches.

Only the African is considered a real ostrich.

African ostriches stand out

• Largeness is the first thing they do not look like other birds. Growth reaches the size of a large breed of horses. They reach a height of 2.7 m, and weigh up to 75 kg. Some individuals weighing over 130 kg come across.
• Strength and length of legs, fingers and neck.
• Disproportionately small head, which is not big brain, having dimensions walnut, indicating a lack of intelligence and primitiveness.
• Feathers, smoky in color, are located on the body, tail and wings of the ostrich, short fluff is seen on the head, neck and upper legs, paws are in scales.
• Unpretentiousness.
• Endurance.

African ostriches are very large birds.

Primitive features of the structure

• Ostriches have a structure of feathers that is different from other birds in the world, in which feathers do not grow evenly, but are arranged in lines - pterylia. A similar feature of the arrangement of the wings of nandu, emu, cassowaries, kiwis and penguins. The feathers lack a structured web, and there is no cohesion between the secondary barbs of the feathers.
• Their brains are poorly developed.
• They do not have a sternum keel due to poorly developed chest muscles. They don't fly.
• The presence of strong muscular legs allows ostriches to run fast.
• The paws of an ostrich consist of two fingers - on one, a huge and strong supporting finger there is a claw, and on the second, smaller one, there is no claw - it only acts as an assistant in maintaining balance, improving traction when the bird runs.

Unique features

• The only ones in the world are known to have the ability to separately remove feces and urine from the body. The rest of the birds excrete feces at the same time, highlighting the litter in a semi-liquid state, and ostriches have bladder urine is excreted separately.
• Their goiter is not developed. The extensibility of the neck allows them to swallow large food.
• Visual acuity.
• The head of the birds is poorly feathered, the color of the feathers is most often gray and black, so you can see the location of the external auditory openings, which look like ears.

The head of an ostrich is covered with sparse bristles

Color of ostrich feathers

• Males are painted black, except for the tips on the feathers of the wings and tail, which are white.
• Females are smaller, with gray-brown feathers.
• In subspecies, the beak and paws have differences: their color is sandy gray, red, or with a bright pink border. Somali subspecies has pink color paws and beak.

habitats

African ostriches, the only ones in the world, live in Africa, except for the northern part and the Sahara desert. Previously, for many years they were met in the territories of Arabia and Syria. Ostriches prefer to live in open flat areas, in grassy savannahs, enliven dry woodlands and semi-desert. You will not meet this bird in dense thickets, on a swampy plain and in desert quicksands, where it is difficult for them to develop speed.

Ostriches - settled birds, living up to 70 years, which stray into small flocks, less often - large flocks, where up to 50 individuals gather. You can meet on pastures, where birds peacefully and graze with herds of zebras and antelopes. The flock adheres to a strict hierarchy, but they do not have a permanent composition. In birds with upper ranks, tails and necks are in a vertical position, in weak ones - in an oblique position.

Ostriches live throughout Africa, except for the desert regions of the Sahara.

live on farms

The description of birds kept for many years on special farms requires special attention. Activity was noted at dusk, night and noon are best time for relax. At night, the bird sleeps for short periods of deep sleep. At this time, he lies on the ground, stretching his neck. The rest of the time, sleep is a long nap in which they are in a sitting position, with their neck up and eyes closed.

wild bird behavior

Being stupid because their brain has small size, ostriches remain cautious. When taking food, they constantly raise their heads to look around. Keen vision allows them to notice moving objects when they are a kilometer away from them. Ostriches leave as soon as they sense danger. Ostriches are observed by representatives of other herbivores that do not have such vision, but they have a better sense of smell.

Ostriches run away from danger, speeding up to 90 km / h, overtaking horses, but not for a long period of time.

At the highest speed large bird turns around or falls abruptly to the ground. Caution is inherent in her when outside nesting. Incubating the clutch, they take care of the offspring, becoming desperate and aggressive, do not hide from danger. Their reaction to moving objects becomes instantaneous. At first, the ostrich, opening its wings, frightens the troublemaker, and then rushes at him, trying to trample him with his paws.

Ostriches are dangerous birds, they can even kill a lion

The male is able to hit with his paw so hard that he breaks the head of a lion. African predators do not dare to fight openly in a fight with him, but sometimes they know how to take advantage of his stupidity. Group attacks undertaken by flocks of hyenas and jackals are able to divert the bird's attention, while their accomplices, meanwhile, drag the eggs from the nest.

Nutrition

Ostriches are omnivorous birds, although they are a delicacy plant species food. They eat blades of grass and leaves of plants. They feast on fruits, eat lizards and turtles, birds, insects and animals become food. Ostriches pick up food lying on the ground. They do not pluck tree branches, swallowing food completely. Thanks to the pebbles swallowed by them, food is frayed in the stomach for many years. They try everything they see “by the tooth”, so they swallow the inedible in the form of buttons, coins, nails. They are able to survive without drinking, and when water is plentiful, they like to drink and bathe with pleasure.

Ostriches tolerate periods of drought well.

reproduction

The breeding season for birds that inhabit humid areas continues from June to October. Desert dwellers are able to breed all year round. When the breeding season comes, the herd breaks up, and the males occupy areas carefully guarded by them from other males.

Seeing a competitor, the male runs towards him, kicks, and treats females with favor.

To attract the attention of the female, the male lets out roars. When she approaches, he, spreading his wings, currents, as is characteristic of birds. Sitting on its paws, the male begins to alternately flap its wings, bowing its head towards them. There are several types of behavior:

1. Expulsion by a strong male of a weak one.
2. Fight of strong males.
3. Mating dances of males with females.

Since the ostrich is a polygamous bird, the male tries to surround himself with females, mating with all of them. His harem has one leading female, which remains with him until the end of the nesting period. The males break out holes in which the females, observing the queue, lay several eggs. Incubation of the chicks is the responsibility of the males.

Ostrich and his females

While the male is incubating the eggs, the females continue to lay. The male gently rolls each new egg under him. One female lays up to 9 eggs, and the nest can hold up to 25 eggs.

The places where the most massive ostrich hunting takes place, males are in short supply, since they are the only valuable suppliers of feathers in the world. Then 50 eggs can accumulate in one nest. But such a laying leaves many eggs unincubated, because the male does not manage to cover them all with his body.

The incubation period lasts one and a half months. Males sit on nests at night, and in daytime are looking for food. The masonry is warmed up at this time by the sun's rays.

In the absence of a male, the eggs are susceptible to attack by hyenas, jackals and vultures.

The skin of newborn babies is covered in small feathers, similar to bristles. They have a yellow-brown striped color. The male protects his offspring by spreading his wings to get a shaded place in which he hides the chicks from the hot sun. The development of chicks is rapid, but they become victims of the attack of predatory animals - how many of them rarely survive to the age of one.

Ostriches protect their chicks, but not all babies survive to adulthood

All about ostrich eggs

The size of an ostrich egg is considered the largest and smallest on the planet. They weigh up to 2 kg, that is, they are the largest bird eggs. But when compared to the size of an ostrich, they seem to be the smallest. They are spherical shape with a white glossy shell, thick and strong, supporting the weight of an adult male. Therefore, it is difficult for chicks to hatch from it, the development of which occurs quickly - they have to hammer the shell for more than one hour in order to make a hole from which they can get out.

Common nest in which females lay their eggs

Enemies and reasons for hunting ostriches

Adult ostriches have almost no enemies, so they only lose eggs and young chicks eaten by hyenas, jackals, vultures that hunt eggs and chicks, and adults have been attacked by lions, a cheetah or leopard can attack when predatory cats ambush them .

Ostrich feathers have been valued since antiquity. Due to their softness and beautiful fluttering, feathers were used for the production of fans and plumes.

In the Middle Ages, they were used to make fans and ornaments for women's hats. In the 18th century, the extermination of ostriches began all over the world, because of which people had to start breeding them on special farms.

bird breeding

Farmers all over the world breed ostriches for their valuable exotic products. For cooking restaurant dishes their meat and eggs are used.

• The meat is lean and tough, and tastes like beef.
• Eggs are used to make souvenirs.
• Feathers that have beautiful colour, in modern world have not found much use.
• The skin of an ostrich is strong, a material with a unique texture comes out of it.

Ostriches provide many valuable products

Birds thought to be ostriches

1. Nandu is similar to the African ostrich in appearance. The bird is large, runs fast and loves to peck at small shiny objects, the brain is primitive.
2. Cassowary and emu are close relatives, large flightless birds.
3. The cassowary is distinguished by a horn-like “helmet” that adorns its head, and plumage that looks like elongated wool. The color of the feathers is different. He prefers to live alone, has an irritable nature, and is very dangerous.
4. emu has a big increase, but primitive brains are friendly and curious large birds.