Until the beginning of the 20th century, ostriches inhabited Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as southwestern Asia. Today, these flightless birds live not only in parts of Africa, but also spread to the entire mainland.
Despite the commercial breeding of ostriches in warm countries, similar ostrich farms can be found all over the world. It is not known exactly how many individuals now live on earth.
Historical fact
It is noteworthy that in the 18-19 centuries these flightless birds were quite rare animals, as they were almost completely wiped off the face of the earth because of their beautiful plumage. In those days, their feathers were widely used for dresses, and therefore the birds gradually disappeared. Despite the fact that the running speed of an ostrich in case of danger is amazing, these birds were quite easy prey when caught by hunters. In 1838, their population increased again thanks to farming.
Lifestyle & Nutrition
The African ostrich mostly lives in open semi-deserts. Birds usually live in flocks or smallfamilies. Each group has an adult male, 4-5 females and chicks. These amazing winged birds have excellent eyesight and are able to see danger at a distance of many kilometers. If strangers appear on the territory of the nest, the bird prefers to flee. The running speed of an ostrich in case of danger is more than 70 km / h. Each step of the path is equal to three meters. Also, the amazing ability of ostriches is the ability to change the direction of their run without slowing down.
Birds feed on plants, flowers, seeds and fruits. Sometimes ostriches even eat small animals. For example, insects or locusts, sometimes it can even be a small rodent or some remnants of a predator's prey. An adult needs about 3.5 kilograms of food per day. Just like ordinary domestic chickens, ostriches are forced to swallow small pebbles and other hard indigestible objects to grind their food, this is because they do not have teeth. Like many animals in Africa, they can easily do without water for a long time, being content with moisture obtained from plants.
Mating season
During the breeding process, males try to attract females with a kind of dance. They kneel down and beat their wings on the ground, while throwing their heads back so that the back of their head touches their own back. During this period of time, the neck and legs of the male acquire a bright shade. Several males compete for the attention of the female, who arrange a kind of battle. Although the ostrich's run is hisa special distinguishing feature, in mating games they demonstrate other qualities. In order to show his superiority, one of the opponents draws a full goiter of air and pushes it with force through the esophagus.
At this, a loud, dull roar is heard. The one whose sound was louder becomes the winner and gets the female, the losing opponent leaves. The strongest male covers several companions at once.
It is noteworthy that male ostriches, just like females, hatch chicks. Ostrich eggs are considered the largest in the world, and, of course, they are the object of hunting for predators.
Hatching, the chicks weigh a little more than a kilogram, and at 4 months their weight already reaches 18-19 kg. The very next day after the chick hatches, he goes in search of food with his father.
The Amazing Runner
As mentioned earlier, the ostrich does not fly, but it fully compensates for this small nuance by the ability to run fast.
The running speed of an ostrich in case of danger develops up to 70 km/h. Birds can travel great distances without getting tired. Thus, these winged birds literally exhaust predators not only with their speed and maneuverability, but also with the fact that they can run in such a rhythm for a very long time.
Interesting facts about ostriches
Ostrich running speed is not the only feature of these amazing birds.
Among other things, there are several interesting facts that distinguishthem from other representatives of the fauna:
1. An ostrich can kill a lion with a kick.
2. Despite the fact that most people tend to believe that the ostrich hides its head in the sand in case of danger, it is worth dispelling this rumor. In fact, if a predator threatens its nest, it can only drop to the ground and rest its head on the sand, thus blending into the terrain. If at the same time you are at a sufficient distance from the bird, everything looks as if he stuck his head in the sand. The running of an ostrich in danger is its main maneuver. Despite their seemingly aggressive behavior, these birds are rather cowardly.
3. The weight of an ostrich egg can be up to 1.5 kilograms, and reach almost 15 cm in width. One such egg is commensurate with two dozen chicken eggs.
4. The ostrich is the only bird that does not have glands that repel water, so when it rains, its plumage becomes very wet.
5. In case of danger, the "winged pedestrian" can make sounds similar to the roar of a lion.
6. The ostrich eye is considered the largest among all known land creatures and is more than 5 cm in diameter.
7. This is the only bird in the world that can support the weight of a person. As you know, in some regions, ostrich races are even arranged, in which a person acts as a rider. This is quite logical, given the incredible speed of an ostrich running in times of danger.
8. When the chicks hatch, the female breaks the rest of the spoiled eggs, thanks towhy flies flock to them, which become food for small birds.
By their nature, these birds are quite aggressive, so you should not approach them just like that and even more so provoke them to attack.
Emu
Unlike its relatives, this representative of flightless birds is distinguished by friendliness and curiosity. It is this quality that quite often turns against the feathered giant itself. For example, in 1930, farmers in Australia suffered greatly from the raids of these birds, as huge creatures literally trampled wheat fields. Considering the speed of the ostrich's run in case of danger or in a calm state, it is not difficult to imagine that there was nothing left of the fertile crops. As a result, the government decided to equip a real expedition with the participation of the military and declare war on the feathered enemies.
In closing
Thanks to numerous farms today, ostriches are not at risk of extinction. And their eggs and meat are widely used in the world. Nevertheless, it is worth taking care of any living creature and carefully monitoring the population of the species.
