In our article we want to talk about the largest bird in the world, although not flying. The ostrich is a funny and unusual bird. Generally speaking, each breed is unique and has its own characteristics. Ostriches, on the other hand, fascinate primarily with their dissimilarity to others. In our country, these beautiful birds can be seen infrequently, and therefore it is so interesting to watch them.
What kind of bird?
It is believed that these special birds appeared on the planet 12 million years ago. Absolutely all types of ostriches belong to the subclass of ratites (flightless), they are also called running birds. Ostriches live in the warm countries of Australia and Africa, preferring semi-desert areas and savannas.
These special birds are completely different in behavior from their counterparts. An interesting fact is that in translation from Greek the word "ostrich" means nothing more than "camel sparrow". Isn't it a funny comparison for such a large bird? How can the same being look like two completely different individuals at the same time? It is probably not for nothing that people who hide from problems are called ostriches. After all, there is evenpopular expression: "Hide your head in the sand like an ostrich." Do birds really behave like this, and why did they deserve such an unflattering comparison?
It turns out that ostriches don't hide their heads in real life. In a moment of danger, the female may rub her head on the ground to be less noticeable. Thus she tries to save her offspring. From the outside, it may seem that the bird sticks its head in the sand, but this is absolutely not the case. Animals in the wild have a lot of enemies: lions, jackals, eagles, hyenas, snakes, birds of prey, lynxes.
Appearance
No other bird on earth can boast such a large size. The ostrich is undoubtedly the largest bird on the planet. But at the same time, such a strong and large creature cannot fly. Which, in principle, is not so surprising. The weight of the ostrich reaches 150 kilograms, and the height is 2.5 meters.
At first it may seem that the bird is rather clumsy and awkward. But that's not the case at all. It simply knocks down the dissimilarity of this creature to all other birds. Ostriches have a large body, a small head, but at the same time a very long neck. Birds have very unusual eyes that stand out on their heads and are bordered by thick eyelashes. The legs of an ostrich are long and strong.
The body of the bird is covered with slightly curly and loose feathers. Their color can be brown with white, black with white patterns (mainly in males). What distinguishes all types of ostriches from other birds is the complete absence of the so-called keel.
Ostrich species
Ornithologists classify ostriches asrunning birds, which include four families: three-toed creatures, two-toed and cassowaries, as well as kiwi (small wingless).
Perhaps the most important species can be considered an African ostrich. It is his scientists who refer to the ostriches. The name itself gives us an idea of where the ostrich lives. Birds are native to North and East Africa, Somalia and Kenya.
Currently, there are several subspecies of the African bird: Massai, Barbary, Malay and Somali. All these types of ostriches still exist.
And here are two more species that once lived on earth, but are now classified as extinct: South African and Arabian. All African representatives are impressive in size. It is difficult to find another bird with such parameters. The weight of an ostrich can reach one and a half centners (this applies to males), but females are more modest in size.
It is also worth remembering the nandu. This is the second species, which is often referred to as ostriches. It includes two representatives: Darwin's rhea and the big rhea. These birds live in the Amazon basin and on the plateaus and plains of the South American mountains.
Representatives of the third order (cassowaries) live in New Guinea and Northern Australia. It includes two families: cassowaries (cassowary muruka and common cassowary) and emu.
But the last species includes kiwi. They live in New Zealand and are even its symbol. Kiwis are quite modest in size compared to other running birds.
African ostriches
The African ostrich, although it is the largest bird on earth, is deprived of the ability to fly. But on the other hand, nature endowed him with an amazing ability to run incredibly fast.
The bird has another feature that we mentioned - it's a small head, which gave rise to talk about the fact that ostriches have very meager mental abilities.
An African ostrich has only two toes on its feet. A similar phenomenon cannot be found in other representatives of the bird world. An interesting fact is that these two fingers are very different. The large one is more like a hoof, while the smaller one is much less developed. However, this does not prevent you from running fast. In general, an ostrich is a strong bird, you should not get too close to it, because it can also hit with a powerful paw. Adults can easily carry a person on themselves. The animal can also be classified as long-livers, as it can live up to 60-70 years.
Lifestyle
The ostrich is a polygamous animal. In nature, during the mating season, males are surrounded by a whole harem of females, among which there is the most important. This period lasts from March to October. For the whole season, the female can lay from 40 to 80 eggs. The ostrich egg is very large. The shell is very white on the outside, it seems that it is made of porcelain. In addition, it is also durable. An ostrich egg weighs between 1100 and 1800 grams.
An interesting fact is that all females of the same ostrich lay their eggs in the same nest. The father of the family hatches his offspring with that female,which he chooses. An ostrich chick is born sighted and weighs about a kilogram. He moves quite well and in a day begins to get his own food.
Features of birds
Birds have good eyesight and outlook. This is due to the peculiarities of their structure. A flexible long neck and a special arrangement of the eyes make it possible to survey large spaces. Birds are able to focus on objects that are far away. This gives them and other animals the opportunity to avoid danger in the pasture.
In addition, the bird can run perfectly, while developing a speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour. In those parts where the ostrich lives, in the wild it is surrounded by an incredible number of predators. Therefore, good eyesight and the ability to run fast are excellent qualities that help to avoid the clutches of the enemy.
What does an ostrich eat?
Because the animals live in a hot climate, they can not always fully eat. That is why they are omnivores. Of course, plants are the main food. But ostriches can also eat up the remains after predators, insects, reptiles. In terms of food, they are completely unpretentious and very resistant to hunger.
Nandu
Nandu lives in the mountains of South America. This bird is similar to an ostrich, but has a more modest size. The animal weighs about forty kilograms, and the height does not exceed one hundred and thirty centimeters. Outwardly, the nandu is not distinguished by beauty. Its plumage is completely inconspicuous and rare (barely covers the body), and the feathers on the wings are not toolush. Nandu have powerful legs with three toes. Animals mainly feed on plants, tree shoots, seeds.
During the breeding season, females lay from 13 to 30 eggs, each of which weighs no more than 700 grams. The male prepares a hole for the eggs and incubates all of them himself and then takes care of the offspring.
In nature, there are two types of nandu: ordinary and northern. At the beginning of the twentieth century, these animals were quite numerous, but soon found themselves on the verge of destruction due to mass extermination. And the reason for this is delicious meat and collecting eggs. In natural conditions, rhea can be seen only in the most remote places. Only there they managed to survive. But the rhea is hastily bred on farms and kept in zoos.
Emu
Emu looks a bit like a cassowary. In length, the bird reaches 150-190 centimeters, and the weight ranges from 30-50 kilograms. The animal is able to develop a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. This is facilitated by the presence of long legs, which enable the birds to take steps up to 280 centimeters long.
Emus have absolutely no teeth, and in order to grind food in the stomach, birds swallow stones, glass and even pieces of metal. Animals have not only very strong and developed legs, but also excellent eyesight and hearing, which makes it possible for them to detect predators before they have time to attack.
Emu Features
Emu can have different plumage depending on where they live. Animal feathers have a very special structure that prevents them from overheating. This isallows birds to lead an active life even in very hot periods. Emus generally tolerate temperature differences from -5 to +45 degrees. Female and male individuals do not externally have any special differences, but they make different sounds. Females usually call louder than males. In the wild, birds live from 10 to 20 years.
Emus have small wings, a long light blue neck with gray-brown feathers that protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Birds' eyes are covered with nictitating membranes that protect them from debris and dust in windy and arid deserts.
Emus are distributed almost throughout Australia, as well as on the island of Tasmania. The exceptions are dense forests, dry regions and large cities.
Animals feed on plant foods, these are the fruits of shrubs and trees, plant leaves, grass, roots. They usually feed in the morning. Often they enter the fields and eat crops of grain crops. Emu can also eat insects. But animals drink quite rarely (once a day). If there is a large amount of water nearby, then they can drink several times a day.
Emus often become victims of animals and birds: foxes, dingoes, hawks and eagles. Foxes steal eggs and birds of prey strive to kill.
Emu breeding
During the mating season, females acquire a more beautiful shade of feathers. They are quite aggressive and often fight among themselves. For a lone male, they can fight intensely.
Emu lays 10-20 dark green eggs per season with verythick shell. Each of them weighs about a kilogram. Emus are also polygamous, and therefore several females lay eggs in one nest, after which the male incubates them. Hatched chicks weigh about half a kilogram, while their height is 12 centimeters. While the males are busy breeding, they become incredibly aggressive, and therefore it is better not to disturb them.
In the Australian wild, birds are legally protected, but that's just a formality. In fact, many populations have long been on the verge of extinction. The emu is the symbol and pride of the Australian continent.
From history…
It is believed that ostriches appeared on the planet 12 million years ago. And the trade in feathers of these animals dates back to the early Egyptian civilizations and has three thousand years. In some countries, even before the beginning of our era, animals were kept in captivity. In ancient Egypt, noble ladies rode ostriches for festive ceremonies. Animal feathers began to be in great demand at the beginning of the nineteenth century, which led to a significant reduction in the number of birds. In the middle of the same century, a period of rapid development of ostrich breeding began. The first farm in Africa appeared in 1838. Animals were bred solely for the purpose of obtaining valuable feathers. For example, in South Africa at that time, the export of feathers was in fourth place after the export of gold, wool and diamonds.
Gradually, ostriches began to be bred in captivity in other countries and on other continents: in the USA, Algeria, Egypt,Australia, Italy, Argentina, New Zealand. But during the two world wars, this type of business almost ceased to exist, and the number of farms decreased significantly.
Instead of afterword
African ostriches, rhea and emu are classified in the zoological literature as a suborder of running birds. However, as we have already mentioned, only the African ostrich, which is rightly considered the largest bird, can be classified as an ostrich.
The world around us is full of unusual and outlandish animals. And one of them can be considered ostriches. These cute and adorable creatures with big eyes are simply irresistible. Currently, even in our latitudes, ostriches are bred in households to obtain valuable meat, eggs, feathers, and simply as exotic pets.
