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Ostrich
photo: Tom Gillespie
Characteristics: The largest living birds, ostriches are unique in many ways. They stand 7-8 feet tall and weigh 300-400lbs. Unable to fly, they reach running speeds of 40 miles per hour.
Their long necks and excellent eyesight allow them to see predators from a distance. Their long, powerful legs and feet can deliver severe injuries to dangerous predators.
Diet: Ostriches primarily eat leaves, grasses, fruits and seeds. They are omnivores and occasionally eat small invertebrates and lizards.
Reproduction: Male ostriches perform elaborate courtship displays to attract a small harem. Hens of a harem lay their eggs in one nest that is scratched out of the sandy soil. A typical nest with 15-60 eggs is too large for all of the eggs to receive proper warmth. The dominant female’s eggs are placed in the center to ensure survival of her young. Males sit on the nest at night and females take over during the day.
Environmental Connections: Ostriches today are farmed for their meat, eggs, skin, and feathers. In recent years, ostrich meat has been marketed as a healthy alternative to traditional red meats in the United States.
Agricultural practices often destroy grasslands abundant with food crops and habitat for endangered wild animals. Farmers sometimes burn areas to clear a space for their farms. Man-made fires strip grasses that would normally hold topsoil in place. Once the topsoil erodes the land is unable to support vegetation and becomes barren. This process, known as desertification, is occurring rapidly in many regions of Africa.
Intensive ranching operations alter grasslands significantly. Domesticated livestock graze indiscriminately on vegetation instead of specific plant parts or species. Overgrazing destroys grasses that would normally regenerate easily. Livestock confined to small areas trample grasses so excessively that the roots are destroyed and are unable to regenerate. The destruction of native grass species reduces the biodiversity of the ecosystem, and can also lead to desertification.
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N.C. Zoo is a member institution of AZA and an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr. Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor. A part of the North Carolina Government portal.
The Zoo is closed Christmas day and during severe weather. Call our information line at: 1-800-488-0444.
