#KeWildlife – Story 19

Did you know that there’s a significant difference between a male and female ostrich? The male ostrich is taller and boasts black feathers with an outer strip of white and is referred to as a rooster, while the female ostrich has a dull brown coat and is referred to as a hen.

Gender names aside, these birds are synonymous with the definition of large: their big bodies, large eyes and even large eggs. Perhaps the most awe-striking feature would be their appearance. They have crowned themselves as the land animal species with the largest eyes; each eye is at least 5cm.

An ostrich diet shows the diversity in what birds eat. They are known to devour rodents as well as locusts and lizards, but they are also known for their love of plants and roots. At the very least they can be described as omnivores.

The most interesting aspect of these birds is their mating habits. Usually a male ostrich will bow and flap its wings outward to display its plumage. This is done to get the female’s attention. When the rooster is ready to mate, its beak and sheens will turn bright red, and sometimes, his neck will change into the same shade of red. Hens on the other hand are able to change their feather colour to a shade of silver. When the eggs are laid, they are placed in a communal nest that can hold up to 60 eggs at one time. Both male and female ostriches can sit on the eggs until they hatch, they take responsibility in taking care of the eggs. The hatching period takes, on average, 40 days. By six months, the chick is almost at its full grown height, and at 4 years it will have reached maturity. Ostrich chicks are larger than any other birds; at birth, they can be as big as full grown chicken

Of note is that an ostrich can live a long life from between 50 and 75 years, and in this time they can maintain their running speed of about 70kph.

Domesticated ostriches can be found in plenty at The Maasai Ostrich Farm in Kitengela that was founded in 1991. Here visitors have the opportunity to observe and, for the daring ones, ride these large bird species.