Ostrich in the natural environment dwells only in Africa, however, farmers are engaged in breeding worldwide, even in such cold countries as Russia and Sweden.
The African ostrich is a very powerful bird that has a long neck and legs. The growth of an adult individual may exceed 2.5 meters, and the weight varies from 70 to 170 kilograms. Ostrich's head is not proportional to his body. The bird's brain does not exceed the size of walnut, which affects its mental abilities. Ostrich has very developed eyesight and hearing. Torch and tail are covered with soft feathers. Head, neck and upper legs do not have feathers. The bottom of the legs is covered with scales.
The legs of the African Ostrich are very powerful and well adapted for running. On the leg of the ostrich only two fingers. One, of which is supported and contains a claw, thanks to which the best grip is happening. The second finger has a much smaller size and does not have a claw, it helps the bird to keep the equilibrium.
Difference of females from male
To distinguish the female of the African Ostrich from the male is simple enough. The males are much larger and have black plumage with white ends on the wings and tail. In turn, all females, a grayish color from the neck to the legs.
Features of behavior
As for the peculiarities of behavior, despite the small brain, the African ostrich is very careful and attentive. During meals, the bird constantly examines the surroundings. Thanks to excellent vision, the ostrich can see a predator within a radius of one kilometer. If the ostrich felt the danger, he instantly leaves the place, fleeing away. The maximum speed that the bird can develop when running is 90 kilometers per hour.
Male African Ostrich Polygamen. During the nesting, the male paws pulls out the pit so that the females can postpone the eggs there. The male itself raises eggs. At this time, females continue to postpone the eggs near the male, which then shifts them into his hole. One female on average postpones 6 eggs. There are from 15 to 25 eggs in the pit.
Breeding goals
Ostrich chicks are very susceptible to influenza. Therefore, in order to protect the chick from a possible disease, it is necessary to protect it from communicating with an adult bird until it reaches six months.
One of the frequent causes of the death of the ostrich is to get into the respiratory tract of the foreign body. Also, ostrich is the only bird susceptible to Siberian ulcers.
Dangerous carriers of many diseases are, so it is necessary to try to not allow pigeons into the pen to ostrich.
Ostrich is a bird belonging to the Ostrich family, inhabitants in African. These birds live only on the plains, they do not rise above 100 meters above sea level.
Approximately 300 years ago, the ostrises were inhabited not only in Africa, but also Palestine and in the large territory of Malaya Asia, but today this representatives are found only in semi-deserts and Savannas Africa. In Asia, all ostriches were destroyed in the middle of the 20th century.
Eastern, southwestern and central part of the African continent are populated, located south of the Sahara desert. The form of ostriches is divided into 4 subspecies. One subspecies live in South Africa - these birds are bred mainly on farms, they have gray necks.
The northern subspecies are the largest, these birds have pinkish-red necks. Lives a northern subspecies in six African countries that are south of the Sahara.
The eastern ostrises of the neck and thigh are pink, and at the time of the marriage period of males, they acquire a red shade. Eastern subspecies lives in East Tanzania, Southern Kenya, South Somalia and Ethiopia.
Listen to the voice of African Ostrich
Another subspecies, called Somali, lives in the northeast of Kenya, in Somalia and South Ethiopia. These ostriches have gray-blue hips and neck. During the breeding season in males, they become red.
Ostrich live in pairs, lead a single life, and rarely - more.
Exterior Ostrich
Ostrich do not know how to fly, nature has tried them with this skill. These birds have wings underdeveloped.
Ostrich - large, strong birds that do not know how to fly.
On strong and long legs there are 2 fingers, one of which resembles hoofs. This finger lays all the load when the ostrich runs.
The males have a large part of the black, white only tail and wings. The females and young features are brown-gray color, and the wings and the tail are dirty-white. On the hips, the head and neck is practically absent. In females, the skin in these parts of the body is pinkish-gray, and the males gray, pink or blue-gray depending on the subspecies. The chest also has a skin area without feathers.
Ostrich weigh from 65 to 145 kilograms. The growth of these feathers is 2.1-2.8 meters. Males larger females. Ostrich has a long neck with a small head and big eyes. The mouth is also big it stretches to the very eyes. In ostrich, unlike featured relatives, urine is allocated not together with feces, but separately. Ostrich can run at a speed of 75 kilometers per hour. At the same time, the length of their step ranges from 3 to 5 meters.
The plumage consists of soft and fluffy feathers, which are characterized by high thermal insulation properties. Thanks to this, the ostrises are perfectly adapted to significant temperature fluctuations. On the tail in ostrichs 60 feathers, and on the wings of 16 basic and 25 secondary.
Young in the first year of life adds a monthly in a height of 25 centimeters. In a year old, they will already weigh 45 kilograms.
Ostrich Behavior
Ostrichs outside the marriage period live by a mustache. This is especially characteristic of those groups that roam during drought. These birds live in savannah next to antilopes and zebras. Activity they manifest in the morning and in the evening. Ostrich have excellent vision and hearing, so predators are noticed from afar and instantly run away. Hoping animals, paying attention to the behavior of ostrich, learn about the approaching danger.
Ostrich have incredibly strong legs. During the defense, these birds can leg a serious injury and even kill.
Four rubber fruits, seeds, grass, shrubs leaves. Sometimes consume insects. Ostrich swallow small pebbles that are inherited food and improve digestion. Ostrich can do without water for a long time, they fill moisture in the body of vegetable food. In conditions of drought, ores survive, but they lose up to 25% of the body weight during this period due to the dehydration of the body. If in proximity to be reservoir, then these featheres are with pleasure they drink and bathe.
Reproduction and life expectancy
Ostrich - Polygamine feathered, that is, one male lives with several females. Outside the period of reproduction, ostriches live in flocks. Young forms separate, more numerous flocks. In the marriage period, each male occupies a certain territory, the amount of which is an average of 10 square kilometers. Competitors from these putors ruthlessly expelled. Boca and neck at this time in males acquire a bright tone. The males are hissing on each other and deafly roar.
File ripening in ostrichs occurs in 2-4 years, while ripening in females comes half a year earlier than the males. The breeding season begins in March-April and continues in September. The harem consists of male and 5-7 females, while one of the females occupies the dominant position. The male, together with the main female, builds the nest and engaged in making a masonry.
The nest is made simply - a deepening in the ground is formed, a depth of about 50 centimeters. In this nest, all females lay their eggs. In one masonry can be 15-60 eggs. In the center of the masonry there are eggs of the main female. In the surgery of eggs, the male also takes part. Eggs are big. Each egg weighs about 2 kilograms, and its length reaches 20 centimeters. Shell thickness in eggs 5-6 millimeters. The color of their dark yellow.
The incubation period takes 1.5 months. Eggs, located with the edge, may not be disclosed. Chicks independently split the solid shell and get out out. The remaining eggs are broken. Because of this, a large number of flies accumulates that go to food with newborn babies.
The life expectancy of ostriches in the wild is 40-45 years. In a comfortable environment, these birds can live up to 60 years. Some suggest that the life expectancy of ostriches can be much more, but these conversations do not have evidence.
Ostrich and man
People actively dilute ostrichs on farms. The meat of these birds is high value, since it contains little cholesterol. Ostrich eggs are also delicious. Also people use skin and feathers of these birds.
In the wild, these large birds are afraid of people and, when they approach them, they are fleeing. If the ostrich drive into the angle, then it is aggressively defended. Strike rushes can easily kill a person. In South Africa, several people die from the attacks of ostriches.
Domestic ostrichs people use for entertainment activities, for example, they ride them on horseback. Even there are special saddles for travel on bars. But it is much more complicated to control these feathers than horses.
People are also practicing races between ostrums. Feather blame for special strollers and arrange running competitions. Such spectacles are available in many states of the United States, where ostriches are removed on farms. The first ostrich farm appeared in 1892 in the state of Florida. These feathered giants were brought to Australia, some of which escaped, and wild flocks were formed. In our country, they are also trying to breed ostriches.
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It is well known that ostrich is one of the largest birds existing in nature. This assumption is true because these animals can achieve weight more than a hundred fifty kilograms. Motherland Ostrich is considered to be Africa and Australia with a semi-desert terrain, which is not limited to no vegetation. Today, almost everyone breed of ostrichphotos and names of which will be discussed in this article. , you can purchase and grow at home. Which of them are the most productive?
Breeds of ostrich, photos and titles The most famous rocks of ostrich
The word ostrich is translated from the Greek language into Russian as the "Sparrow-camel", this designation pretrates quite accurately many features of this bird.
The following rocks are distinguished:
African ostrich.
Ostrich Nanda.
Ostrich Emu.
African ostrich. Speaking of ostrices, first of all, it comes to the mind according to the modern classification, this is the only present type of ostriches that exist on the planet today. The remaining rocks cannot be attributed to ostriches in principle, they are called only its closest relatives.
The African ostrich has a large size, its growth can be compared with the height of an adult stallion, and this is a little more than two and a half meters. The weight of African ostrich can often exceed one and a half centners.
Ostrich African Features of the African Ostrich:
"Although ostrich and belongs to birds, he does not know how to fly. The thing is that his bones are not fair enough, which does not allow him to rise in the air, besides, the ostrich has no keel;
- Ostrich is able to extremely fast, for such growth and weight, run;
- the presence of a small head from the ostrich compared to the rest of the body. There could be a big brain in such a head, so the bird is not too smart, but it has eyes that are recognized as one of the biggest, which can be found in animals;
African ostriches are customary to such subspecies:
Malian Ostrich.
Somali Ostrich: which is distinguished by the brown color of feathers.
Masay Ostrich: Has feathers painted in a bright red shade.
The next view of the ostrichs, or rather, the brother of the African Ostrich, it is possible to call his homeland, it is considered to be southern America, which is why it is often called American ostrich. With similar features of these two breeds, the lack of flight skills, the same physique, although the American brother has smaller sizes. 
Nandu Osthus
The differences between the American Ostrich from African:
- the presence of three fingers on the legs;
- covered with a thick plumage neck;
- use of wings for improved overclocking;
- The presence of solid formations on wings having a common nature with claws.
Today there are two types of Ostrich Nanda:
The usual Ostrich Nanda: an increase of about one and a half meters and weighing from fifty kilograms, lives mainly in South America.
Darwine Ostrich Nanda: It has a height of about a meter and weight not exceeding twenty five kilograms.
Emu. The last type of ostrich can be called the Australian Breed - Emu. It has a magnitude, slightly smaller than the African and greater than that of American ostriches. Emu refer to the squad of Kazauroborus birds.
Emu Ostrush Features of ostrich EMU:
- growth of about two meters and weight about sixty kilograms;
- sticking in different sides of feathers that more resemble wool;
- Emu not only runs well, but he knows how to swim;
Animal world is full of extraordinary creatures, each of which can affect the imagination of a person. A variety of rocks, photo and names which were discussed above, make it possible to choose the most appropriate form for growing on its site. Ostrich is an amazing bird, the observation of which can deliver a lot of pleasures.
Ostrich is familiar to everyone. More often children, but sometimes adults are asked about where the ostrich lives.
The first thing comes to mind is Africa. Yes, indeed they are found only on this continent. Today and, which for a long time was also considered ostriches, are assigned to individual species, and recognized as the largest bird in the world and is able to run at speeds up to 70 km per hour.
For the bird, it is important to have a good review, because, not flying, to escape from your natural enemies, such as cheetahs, lions, hyenas and leopards, he can, just noticing them on time and fueling. Due to active domestication and breeding on farms in order to obtain eggs, meat, feathers and skin giants spread around the world, but in a wild form they live only in Africa.
Ostrich habitat
There is a bird on the plain sections of the African mainland. Earlier, ostriches lived in other territories, in particular in the Middle East, in India, Iran, Arabia and Central Asia. As a result of very active hunting activities, the giants were fully exterminated in most places, including even considered a numerous Middle East view. As a result, habitat decreased to Africa.
Experts today share a view of several types. So, birds living in various places in Africa have certain differences in appearance.
- Inhabited in the eastern regions of the mainland - their distinctive feature is red color of the neck and paws.
- Inhabited in Ethiopia, Somalia and in the north of Kenya - these birds have a distinctive feature of a bluish shade of neck and paws.
- Inhabited in the southwestern regions of Africa - have gray paws and neck.
Similar differences are usually not noticed by most people, and for them all the giants are perceived equally; If, of course, do not decompose into a number of their photos, on which species features will immediately be viewed.
In Africa, birds are found almost everywhere. The main habitats of ostriches are reserves, where birds feel particularly comfortable due to the lack of hunters. Do not live these, the largest bird in the world only in the north of the mainland and in the Sahara desert, in which they simply cannot physically exist without food and water.
The habitat of the ostrich, in which he feels particularly comfortable - these are the savannahs and areas of the desert, where you can find water and food.
Having learned the general about where the ostrich lives, it is necessary to consider specific places of its habitup.
Savannah
Features of the structure of the bird and the lack of flight possibilities, which is compensated by a very fast run, force the ostriches to choose the plain territory, crouched grass (savanna) and significantly less often - a parel, which, as a rule, borders the savanna.
Ostrigas are multiplied on the plains of savanna, where there are always food for parents and chicks. A healthy bird in such conditions for predators is practically unavailable, since, noticing them still published, the ostriches are very quickly moved to a safe place, without leaving the pursuer a chance to catch up with them.
In Savannah, ostrich lives with flocks in which there are up to 50 individuals.
Most often, ostriches grazing about the Stud of Antelopes and Zebras, as this provides them with additional protection. In such a situation, sneaking predators are noted rather, as well as they will prefer the antelope than the bird, which is almost impossible to catch.
A person to live, where ostrises live, quite comfortable, and therefore not rarely local tribes, in addition to unfortunate animals, hunt and on birds that give a large amount of quality meat. Due to attractive feathers for a long time in nature, the ostrices were exterminated by people. Today in Africa, feathered giants are not considered an endungent species.
Desert
The desert is not the most suitable place for feathered giants. In sugar, they do not meet perfectly. However, the bird semi-deserts can be found in order to surround the eggs, as well as after the rains, when there is enough fresh greenery and insects in the area, as well as various lizards. The soil of the semi-desert is solid enough, and the bird can move well according to it, gaining a very greater speed.
Ostrich, sometimes called the African Ostrich - the largest bird of our planet. He does not know how to fly, but thanks to strong legs runs faster than drunk horses.
Habitat. Distributed in Africa.
Habitat.
The original habitat of ostrich-African semi-deserts or herbaceous savannahs, but the birds often settle on the stony or sandy plateau with a rare floral cover, invariably choosing places near the water and in every way avoiding the neighborhood with a person. In the habitats of ostrich, there are sharp daily temperature differences. Day heat often exceeds 40 ° C, and at night the temperature drops below 0 ° C.
View: Ostrich - Struthio Camelus.
Family: Ostrich.
Detachment: Ostrich.
Class: Birds.
Subtype: vertebrate.
Security
In the distant past, the ostriches lived throughout Africa, in the Middle East and in Asia, but people from ancient times destroyed these birds for meat for meat, as well as in pursuit of beautiful fluffy feathers. In the Middle Ages, knightly helmets were decorated with lush plumes from the plumage of ostriches, and later - noble nobles. Most birds died in the XIX century, when their feathers in huge quantities were used to finish the outfits. Due to the uncontrolled hunt, wild ostrises were soon on the verge of death. To prevent this, in 1838, the first ostrich farm was created in South Africa. Ostriches are well bred in the conditions of semi-shifted content, and now there are many such farms around the world. Now these birds are bred mainly for their delicious meat, eggs and valuable skin. Ostrich farms allowed to preserve the wild population of birds, but their area is limited only by the rates of national parks in South and East Africa.
Did you know?
Reproduction.
At the beginning of the nesting season, a pack of ostriches is divided into groups of males and females. The males climb spectacular marriage dances: circling on the spot, the salt tail and waving wide open wings, and the females are looking at the cavaliers. Choosing a decent partner, the female comes to him with the leaning wings and in favor of the sign of favors gives a portion of urine and litter. After removing from the group, the partners are twisted the grass for some time, and then the male, crouching to the ground, begins to rhythmically beat the wings, throws the head and with deaf shouts rubbing about my back. The female watches his shocking, lowering the wings, tail and low clone head. Finally, she sits on the ground, after which the partner falls with her. If other females are nearby, the male and they will not walked for their attention, but the dominant position in the harem invariably saves his first chosen one. By choosing a seat for the nest, the spouses dig in the ground a wide flat hole. The dominant female lays up to 8 eggs with a two-day interval, the rest - 3-4 eggs. After completion of the masonry, the nest remains the male with the first partner, and the other females are expelled. Within 40-42 days, the male raises her at night, and the female - during the daytime. Because based starts only after the launch of the last egg, all chicks hatch simultaneously. This process sometimes takes up to two days, as the egg shell is very thick and it is not easy to pierce it. As soon as the chicks leave the nest and are vigorously taken for finding food. Most often, young people stay at the parents about a year, but if adults will gather to rapt the second masonry, young birds are expelled and gather in large teenage groups. By one and a half years they reach the magnitude of adult ostriches.
Lifestyle.
Ostrich - Public birds. From morning to evening in search of food, they are small groups roam the savannah. Ostrich eats not only green food, but also insects, mostly grasshoppers and their larvae. The extraction of ostrichs often become minor vertebrates: rodents, lizards, pichni and desert turtles. The lack of bird mineral salts is replenished, swallowing the lumps of the Earth, and swallowed small pebbles helps to pertrite in the stomach. Ostrich requires a lot of water, and if he cannot find it, he eats juicy fruits and plants in large numbers. During the day, the bird takes place from 10 to 40 kilometers, and at night, resting, lies on the ground and sleep with a highly raised head. Only a few times during the night, the ostrich deeply falls asleep for about 15 minutes, putting her neck to the ground. Acute eyesight and rumor ahead warn him about the risk approach. At the sight of the threat, the bird is instantly saved, and sometimes bravely defends himself, the enemy's crushing is strong. Strict hierarchy reigns in the flock of ostriches: the strongest birds become dominants and impose their will the rest. The structure of social relations in the flock is very complex. Orphaned chicks are often taken under the custody of single males or birds having their offspring. Such a group of ostrichs is called supersaturation. After some time, young people are going to separate groups in which its hierarchy is installed.
Ostrich- Struthio Camelus.
Height: up to 275 cm.
Length: up to 180 cm.
Weight: 65-150 kg.
Number of eggs in masonry: dominant female -8; Other females - 3-4.
Incubation time: 40-42 days.
Sexual maturity: male - 3-4 years; Female - 2 years.
Food: grass, buds, flowers, leaves, insects.
Life expectancy: 30 years.
Structure.
Head. Little head covered short with gentle fluff.
Eyes. Big eyes provide excellent eyesight.
Beak. Small, but strong beak is adapted to eating various types of feed.
Ear holes. Large, slightly turned back ear holes serve as an sensitive hearing organ.
Neck. Thanks to the long neck, the ostrich has access to a variety of food sources.
Body. The massive body has a rounded shape.
Tail. The short tail is covered on top of soft fluffy feathers.
Plumage. Wings and tail of male white; The rest is black.
Wings. Wings covered with long feathers are rounded and strongly reduced.
Legs. Long muscular allow the bird to develop on run high speed.
Fingers. Foots on the legs are only two - this is the only case in the class of birds. Inner finger, armed with powerful claws, is much larger than external.
Related species.
Ostrich is the largest representative of a group of dogless birds, long-suffering the ability to fly. Along with inhabitants in Africa, the Australian Emeu, Kazaire and American Nanda also belong to the number of large non-flying birds. All these birds are endowed with long and strong legs that allow them to quickly run.