The ostrich is the world’s largest living bird.  Their weight, small wings, and weak flight muscles combine to make them flightless.  They use their wings mainly for communication, elaborate courtship displays and to help them turn or brake when running.  An ostrich can maintain a speed of 30mph for 30 minutes and can reach a top speed of 45mph.  Their strides can reach 11 feet in length.

Ostriches sometimes join groups of antelope, zebra and wildebeest.  With the mammals’ sense of smell and the birds’ elevated eyes and excellent vision, these groups are often successful at detecting predators.  When cornered the ostrich can deliver a very powerful kick, able to disembowel a lion. 

Ostriches breed in the spring and are polygamous.  Mating takes place after an elaborate courtship display.  The male makes the nest, a scrape in the sand about 3 feet across and 1 foot deep.  The “major hen” lays an egg in the nest first and then any “minor hens”, each laying up to 12 eggs over a three-week period. A hen can lay about 70 eggs each year. The egg weighs about 2 pounds and has a thick ivory colored shell. The egg is the equivalent of about 18-24 chicken eggs. Many animals, as well as humans eat the eggs and the African people use the shells for holding water. The male, being black in color, sits on the nest at night, while only the “major hen” sits on it during the day when her lighter brown coloration provides better camouflage.  They turn the eggs regularly and somehow manage to keep her eggs in the middle of the nest where they have the best chance for survival. Incubation takes 42-48 days.  The baby ostrich is well developed and active as soon as they are hatched.  They are about the size of a domestic hen.  Both the male and “major hen” raise and protect the chicks.

Ostrich

Struthio camelus