Common ostrich

The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird found in parts of Africa. It is the largest living species of bird and the largest living dinosaur. It is one of two types of ostriches left today. The other is the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes).

This bird looks very tall with a long neck and legs. It can run very fast, up to 55 km/h (34 mph), and for short bursts, it can run up to about 70 km/h (43 mph). This makes it the fastest land speed of any two-legged animal. It also lays the largest eggs of any living bird.

The common ostrich eats mostly plants but will also eat invertebrates and small reptiles. These birds live in groups of 5 to 50. The common ostrich is farmed around the world. People farm them for their feathers, which are used for decoration and as feather dusters. Their skin is used for leather products and its meat is sold in stores.

Description

The common ostrich is the tallest and heaviest living bird. Males can be up to 2.75 meters tall and weigh between 100 and 130 kilograms. Females are smaller, about 1.9 meters tall and weigh around 90 to 120 kilograms. Baby ostriches are fawn-colored with dark brown spots and change their feathers as they grow.

Adult male ostriches have mostly black feathers with white flight feathers and a white tail. Females and younger males are greyish-brown and white. Their long necks and legs let them stand up to 2.8 meters tall. Their large eyes help them see danger from far away. Ostriches can run over 70 kilometers per hour and have strong legs for fast running. Their wings help them balance and can span about 2 meters wide.

Taxonomy

The common ostrich was first described by Carl Linnaeus from Sweden. It belongs to a group of birds called ratites. This group also includes rheas, emus, cassowaries, kiwi, and tinamous.

There are four accepted subspecies of the common ostrich. Some experts think the Somali ostrich might be a different species, but not everyone agrees. These birds live in different parts of Africa and look slightly different from each other.

Subspecies of the common ostrich

Subspecies	Description	Image
North African ostrich (S. c. camelus), also known as the red-necked ostrich or Barbary ostrich	Lives in North Africa. Historically it was the most widespread subspecies, ranging from Ethiopia and Sudan in the east throughout the Sahel to Senegal and Mauritania in the west, and north to Egypt and southern Morocco, respectively. It has now disappeared from large parts of this range, and it only remains in six of the 18 countries where it originally occurred, leading some to consider it Critically Endangered. It is the largest subspecies, at 2.74 m (9 ft 0 in) in height and up to 154 kg (340 lb) in weight. The neck is pinkish-red, the plumage of males is black and white, and the plumage of females is grey. Northern Africa: Algeria, the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, and Tunisia Western Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal
South African ostrich (S. c. australis), also known as the black-necked ostrich, Cape ostrich, or southern ostrich	Found south of the Zambezi and Cunene Rivers. It is farmed for its meat, leather, and feathers in the Little Karoo area of Cape Province. Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Masai ostrich (S. c. massaicus), also known as the pink-necked ostrich or East African ostrich	It has some small feathers on its head, and its neck and thighs are pink. During the mating season, the male's neck and thighs become brighter. Its range is essentially limited to southern Kenya and eastern Tanzania and Ethiopia and parts of southern Somalia. Eastern Africa: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda
Arabian ostrich (†S. c. syriacus), also known as the Syrian ostrich or Middle Eastern ostrich	Was formerly very common in the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Iraq, and Israeli Negev; it became extinct around 1966. Western Asia: Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

Somali ostrich

Species	Description	Image
Somali ostrich (S. molybdophanes), also known as the blue-necked ostrich	Found in southern Ethiopia, northeastern Kenya, and Somalia. The neck and thighs are grey-blue, and during the mating season, the male's neck and thighs become brighter and bluer. The females are more brown than those of other subspecies. It generally lives in pairs or alone, rather than in flocks. Its range overlaps with S. c. massaicus in northeastern Kenya. Northeastern Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia

Distribution and habitat

Common ostriches used to live across Africa and parts of Asia. Today, they are mostly found in open areas like savannas and the Sahel in Africa. They also live in dry, desert-like areas in southwest Africa. Some ostriches have been farmed in Australia, where they have created wild groups.

Studies in India suggest ostriches may have lived there thousands of years ago, based on old eggshells that look very similar to those of African ostriches.

Behaviour and ecology

Common ostriches often live alone or in pairs during winter. During breeding season, they gather in groups of five to 100 birds, led by a top hen. These groups sometimes travel with grazing animals like zebras or antelopes. Ostriches are most active early and late in the day, and they can see and hear predators from far away. They can run very fast—up to 70 km/h (43 mph)—to escape danger. When threatened, they can kick powerfully with their legs.

Ostriches eat seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit, flowers, and sometimes insects, rodents, small reptiles, and scraps left by predators. They swallow small pebbles to help grind their food in a special part of their stomach called the gizzard. Ostriches can go several days without drinking by using water from the plants they eat, but they enjoy bathing when they can.

Ostriches become ready to reproduce when they are 2 to 4 years old. The mating season starts in March or April. Males show off to attract females, and after mating, the female lays large eggs in a communal nest. The eggs are incubated by both males and females, and the parents work together to care for their chicks. Many young ostriches do not survive because of predators, but those that do can live a very long time.

Physiology

The common ostrich has a special breathing system that helps it live in hot, dry places. Unlike most birds, ostriches do not use a diaphragm to breathe. Instead, they use a series of air sacs connected to their lungs. This lets air flow through their lungs in one direction, making breathing easier.

Ostriches also have clever ways to control their body temperature. They can fluff their feathers to trap warm air or go into the shade and show some of their skin to cool down. When it gets very hot, they pant to lose heat, which works well even though they do not have sweat glands. These tricks help ostriches stay at a comfortable temperature where they live in Africa.

Status and conservation

The common ostrich population in the wild has become smaller over the past 200 years. Many ostriches now live in reserves or on farms. Because ostriches live in a very large area (9,800,000 km²), groups like the IUCN and BirdLife International say they are safe. One subspecies, the Arabian ostrich (S. c. syriacus), disappeared around 1966. In North Africa, ostrich groups are protected to stop uncontrolled trade.

Humans

Common ostriches have inspired cultures and civilizations for thousands of years in Mesopotamia and African centers like Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush. Hunter-gatherers in the Kalahari use ostrich eggshells as water containers and make jewelry from them.

In Eastern Christianity, decorated ostrich eggs are often hung on oil lamp chains. One old belief said that ostriches stare at their eggs until they hatch, which was used as a symbol for focused prayer.

Ostriches have been used for their feathers, which were once very popular in clothing. Their skins are also valued for leather. Today, ostriches are farmed for their meat, which tastes like lean beef and is low in fat. Some farms also offer tours and even ostrich rides.

Ostriches can be aggressive when threatened and can kick powerfully with their legs. In places with many ostrich farms, a few injuries happen each year.

In some places, people race on the backs of ostriches, much like horse racing. This is most common in Africa but has also been a tourist attraction in places like Jacksonville, Florida, Indio, California, and Chandler, Arizona.