Ostrich

The ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It is flightless and relies on strong legs with two clawed toes used for running and kicking. Males are black with white wing and tail feathers, while females are brownish gray.

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Ostriches are very adaptable grazers—they will feed on grasses, shrubbery, berries, seeds and succulents. They also eat insects and small reptiles, which they chase in an awkward zigzag pattern. For short periods of time, ostriches can rely on the vegetation they eat for water, but they need open water sources for long term survival.

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Though often spotted singly, the ostrich is quite gregarious, and has a fairly complex social structure. Generally ostriches are polygamous—a male will escort a flock made up of one “head female” and a couple subordinate females. Courtship is very ritualized and synchronized. All females lay their eggs in the same nest, though the head female usually drives the others away after laying. The male plays a large part in the raising of the young, from helping construct the nest, to guarding the eggs, to chasing off predators.

During the dry season, large groups (up to 700 birds) will congregate peacefully at a water source, though flock identity remains intact. Sometimes one flock will adopt the young of another, and sometimes groups of sub-adults will form.

The male ostrich has a booming “boo-booo-boooo” warning call which sounds like a lion’s roar.

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In the 18th century, ostrich feathers were so popular in ladies fashion that the ostrich disappeared from all of northern Africa. If not for ostrich farming, which began in 1838, the ostrich would probably be extinct. Today, ostriches are farmed for feathers, skin, meat and eggs.

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