Common ostrich
Appearance
By far the largest bird of the region; flightless. Male is black with a grey neck, predominantly white wings and a pale chestnut tail. In female, the body feathering and tail are brown and the wings off-white.Juvenile resembles a small female; chicks resembles a korhaan but has a flattened bill and thick legs.
Habitat
Feral stock ground on farms virtually throughout the region.Call
Nocturnal; a booming, leonine roar.Facts
Ostriches live in nomadic tribes of 5 - 50 individuals and eat mainly plant matter.They can sprint up to 70 km per hour and they have a powerful (front and forward only) kick.
Its eye is bigger than its brain.
Starts to lay eggs at the age of 4. Eggs are in communal nests, but a female can recognize her own eggs.
Eggs take 35 to 40 days to hatch, of 45 minutes to hard boil.
Nomenclature
(en) Common ostrich(sc) Struthio camelus
(nl) Struisvogel
(af) Volstruis
Classification
