- Origin: Africa
- Class: Birds
- Order: Struthioniformes
- Suborder: Struthionidés
The ostrich is the largest bird living on earth. It lives in the dry savannahs of East, West and Southern Africa. The male can measure 2.80 m and weigh 180 kg. The female is smaller and lighter, around 2 m and weighing 120 kg. Powerful two-toed legs enable it to run at speeds of over 50 km/h. The male’s plumage is black, while that of the female and of young ones is brownish, allowing them to camouflage better.
Breeding takes place during the dry season. The male prepares a depression in the ground by scratching, he is the one who chooses the nest site. He mates with several females and each of the females lays around ten eggs in the communal nest. Ostrich eggs weigh more than a kilo each. The female broods during the day, the male at night. Incubation takes around 45 days.
Ostriches feed mainly on grasses, buds, leaves and seeds.
Long killed for their feathers, their population has declined dramatically over the last hundred years. Breeding farms have enabled this species to survive in free populations.
IUCN Status : least concern (Appendix III)