Until the beginning of the 20th century, ostriches inhabited Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as southwest Asia. Today, these flightless birds live not only in areas of Africa, but also spread throughout the mainland.
Despite the commercial breeding of ostriches in warm countries, similar ostrich farms can be found around the world. It is not known exactly how many individuals live on earth right now.
Historical fact
It is noteworthy that in the 18-19 centuries these flightless birds were quite rare animals, since 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 outfits, and therefore the birds gradually disappeared. Although the ostrich's running speed in case of danger is astounding, these birds were quite easy prey when caught by hunters. In 1838, their population increased again thanks to farms.
Lifestyle & Nutrition
Mostly African ostrich lives in open semi-deserts. Usually birds are kept in packs or small families. In each group there is an adult male, 4-5 females and chicks. These amazing winged people have excellent eyesight and are able to see danger at a distance of many kilometers. In the case of the appearance of aliens in the territory of the nest, the bird prefers to flee. Ostrich running speed in case of danger is more than 70 km / h. Each step of the path is three meters. Also, the amazing ability of ostriches is the ability to change the direction of their run without reducing speed.
Birds feed on plants, flowers, seeds and fruits. Ostriches sometimes eat even 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. Like regular domestic hens, ostriches have to swallow small pebbles and other hard indigestible objects to chop food, this is because they have no teeth. Like many animals in Africa, they can safely do without water for a long time, being content with moisture obtained from plants.
Mating season
In the process of breeding, the males try to attract the females with a peculiar dance. They kneel down and beat their wings on the ground, while throwing their heads back so that the back of the head is touching 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. Despite the fact that running an ostrich is its special distinguishing feature, in mating games they demonstrate other qualities. In order to show his superiority, one of the rivals gains a full goiter of air and pushes it through the esophagus with force.
At the same time, 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 hatch chicks just like females. In the world, ostrich eggs are considered the largest, and, of course, they are an object of hunting for predators.
Hatching, chicks weigh a little more than a kilogram, and at 4 months their weight already reaches 18-19 kg. The very day after the chick hatched, he goes in search of food with his father.
Amazing runner
As mentioned earlier, the ostrich does not fly, but it completely compensates for this small nuance by the ability to run fast.
Ostrich running speed in case of danger develops up to 70 km / h. Birds can travel great distances without getting tired. Thus, these winged people literally exhaust the predators not only by their speed and maneuverability, but also by the fact that they can run in such a rhythm for a very long time.
Interesting facts about ostriches
The ostrich's running speed is not the only feature of these amazing birds.
Among other things, there are several interesting facts that distinguish them from other representatives of the fauna:
1. Kicking an ostrich can kill a lion.
2. Despite the fact that most people tend to believe that the ostrich in the event of danger hides its head in the sand, it is worth dispelling this rumor. In fact, if a predator threatens its nest, it can only sink to the ground and put its head on the sand, thus merging with the terrain. If at the same time you are at a sufficient distance from the bird, everything looks as if it had put its head in the sand. Running 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 a width of almost 15 cm. One such egg is commensurate with two dozen chicken eggs.
4. An ostrich is the only bird that does not have glands that repel water, so its plumage gets very wet during rain.
5. In case of danger, the “winged pedestrian” may make sounds similar to the lion's roar.
6. The ostrich eye is considered the largest among all known terrestrial 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 even ostrich races are organized, in which a person acts as a rider. This is quite logical, given the unthinkable speed of the ostrich running during danger.
8. When the chicks hatch, the female breaks the remaining spoiled eggs, due to which flies flock on 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.
Ostrich 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 most feathered giant. For example, in 1930, farmers in Australia suffered greatly from the raids of these birds, as huge creatures literally trampled wheat fields. Given the ostrich's running speed in case of danger or in a calm state, it is easy to imagine that nothing remained of the fertile crops. As a result of this, the government decided to equip a real expedition with the participation of the military and declare war on feathered enemies.
