BIRD THAT CAN'T FLY(OSTRICH)

INTRODUCTION

Ostrich is largest living bird and also the heaviest.It's totally flightless but it can cover large distances with speed on its powerful legs.

Male Ostriches is taller than most men,its height is 2 and 2.7 metres.They posses weigh up to 150kilograms.Females are smaller and lighter. Ostriches have the largest eyes with a diameter of 50mm.They have quite unique noises, including snorts, whistles and a guttural lion-like "booooh".Their
diet depends on their mood they don't need to drink.

Ostriches are omnivorous,they feed primarily on seeds,leaves,roots and flowers of various grasses,shrubs and trees.Locusts and other invertebrates are easily provideed to eat.Many of the items eaten by Ostriches are undigestable to other creatures,ostrich can digest these insects in its 14 metre long intestine.Pebbles and sand are regularly swallowed and stored in gizzard to help in digesting or breaking down tough plant material.Ostrich don't need to drink,because most of their moisture is extracted from succulent plants.In summer they can raise their body temperature by four degrees to reduce water loss.

BREEDING

Dominant male defends a territory of between two and 15 kilometers.He is usually paired with single female known as major hen but it often also mate with other females living within the area of its occupaying territory.They don't built,male creates shallow scrape into which major hen lays clutch of five to eleven eggs.Minor hens mated with less faithful male typically filled the clutch with their own eggs (two to six) but play no role in the incubation process.Dominant male and major hen share incubation process duties between them with the mysterious plumaged female

on the nest prerforms its duties during the day and black-plumaged male after dark.Approximately eighty eggs may hatched in single nest but just tewnty or so of these will hatch as this is approximate number that a single incubating bird can cover.Major hen seems able to distinguish her eggs (which she laid) from those laid by other hens and will try to arrange clutch so that her eggs are always covered.Banded Mongoose and Egyptian Vultures pose threat to eggs.Adult Ostriches take care of their young and will defend them against predators with distraction displays.Interestingly if two family groups should encounter one another a clash may break out between the rival adults and the victors often make off with the brood of their opponents!

PREDATORS

Cheetah are probably the main predator of Ostrich but Lion,Leopard,Wild Dog and Spotted Hyena can also be a threat.Adult males are tough opponents and have been seen to kick out at and wound large predators.For the most part Ostrich can outrun most of their enemies reaching seventy kilometers per hour in a short sprint in open country and fifty kilometers per hour over a distance for thirty kilometers.Young Ostrich are open invitation to a whole host of predators including larger eagles.