COMMON OSTRICH (Struthio camelus) – (See images below)
The Common Ostrich – or Ostrich for short – is a unique bird in that it can’t fly in spite of its large size (and wings). At almost 3 meters high (9 feet) and 250 lb (112 kg), the ostrich is the fastest bird in the world (clocked at 70 km/h or 43 mph). Males are heavier than females. Males are mostly black, and females and juveniles are mostly grey. They have very large eyes and an acute eyesight.
When frightened, ostriches DO NOT hide their head in the sand. What they do is they flatten their heads and necks to the ground or just run away.
Ostriches are native to Africa. One population is found across the middle of Africa including Tanzania, and the other main group is located mainly in South Africa. This giant bird is bred around the world now, mainly for its feathers but also for its skin (turned into leather) and meat (similar to beef in taste apparently).
More information on the common ostrich can be
found here.
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| Common ostrich pair, Tanzania |
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| Common ostrich female, Tanzania |
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| Common ostriches, Tanzania |
