Ostrich
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world. They are usually seen in the company of grazing animals, such as antelopes and zebras. Their main mean of defense is their long and strong legs. They are territorial and diurnal animals.
- Height 2,50m
- Weight 160Kg
- Longevity 50 years
- Diet Seeds, leaves and insects
- Habitat Savanna
- Reproduction 15 to 60 eggs
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Morphology
The Ostrich, a bird that does not fly, is considered the largest bird in the world. Males are black and white, females are gray-brown. Each paw has two fingers with a long, sharp claw that it uses as a defense or attack. Ostrich eggs are the largest of all animals and measure 15 cm, 1.5 Kg and are bright and whitish. The incubation of eggs lasts 40 days and is in charge of the male (at night) and females (during the day).
Behaviour
Ostrich spends most of the day wandering the Savannah where it gets most of the water from the plants he eats. Although they cannot fly, Ostriches are excellent runners: they use their wings as a rudder to support them to change direction and can run at 70km/h for 30min. To disguise themselves for predators, they can lie on the ground with their necks extended. This behavior gave rise to the myth that Ostriches bury their heads in the soil.
Conservation
The Ostrich population is declining. This species has already suffered due to the trade-in feathers and hunting in the 18th century but is now more threatened by habitat loss. However, the permission and habit of raising Ostriches in the 19th century contributed to the non-extinction of this species that was almost exterminated in the previous century. It is extinct in Libya. However, the increasing exploitation of wildlands by humans for their use and profit, such as urbanization, industry or agriculture, leads to an increasing decrease of spaces available for these birds to inhabit, thus contributing to the decrease in the number of existing individuals in Nature.
