Ostrich

Distribution:

North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

Habitat:

Savannahs, arid open areas

Diet:

Vegetation, seeds, flowers, buds, reptiles, insects

Gestation:

Twelve - fifteen eggs laid, incubated for 35 - 45 days.

General:

Ostrich are flightless birds like emu and kiwi. It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs. Their eyesight is excellent and their hearing acute.

When threatened, ostriches run away. They have been known to reach speeds in excess of 70 km/h and can maintain a steady speed of 50km/h, which makes the Ostrich the world's fastest two-legged animal. They can cause serious injury and death, with kicks from their powerful legs and can also easily cause death through slamming their heads into opponents.

Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs. On average they weigh 1.4 kg, over 20 times the weight of a chicken egg.

At Hamilton Zoo:

We have five ostrich ladies who spend their days in the savanna with the giraffe and the zebra.

Females:
Doris — 14th Feb 2014
Iris — 14th Feb 2014
Betty — 16th Jan 2017
Dorothy — 16th Jan 2017
Mavis — 16th Jan 2017