Scientific name:
Struthio camelus

Natural spread:
Africa

only lives in Asia, Europe and Africa with 9 types of spread family the African bouquet as single type the earlier in East-Africa's nature-preserves today or was naturalized in other areas (Z). B. Australia. Few decades ago, one could still find the bouquet in almost all steppes, savannas and even desert-lines of Africa and Near east; meanwhile, it was however almost everywhere wiped out.

Way of life The gigantic, almost 3 m high birds adapted themselves completely to the life in the level. You for birds unique digestive-appliance, 3 stomach-sections; it makes 14 m of intestine-length, 70 cm of appendix-length, possible to appraise the omnivore-food best possible. So, they wind the hardest plants and roots completely down, makes as well hunt on insects, reptiles and small rodents, however. Also with longer dry-times, they cope well. In the difference to all other bird-types, the urine is secret separate by the excrement thickened and total in the sewer. The reproductive-willingness is determined by the food and liquid-offer.

For other steppe-animals, the ostriches took over an important guard-function. Far, its head sticks out on it, only sparsely befiederten neck beyond the level, reaches and an enemy escapes the aware birds only heavily. The eyes, through dense eyelashes before dust protected, observes the surroundings continually. Often, the birds are unified to large and peaceful associations. Seam an enemy, it has only few chances. Fast, the group dissolves in small swarms. At the powerful legs, only two toes (1) sit. and 2. Is missing toe, so that the birds gain an incredibly high speed; in the fast run, even only the big, inner toe is incriminated. One determined speeds up to 65 km per hour, that can be stood moreover over longer time. If it depends on it, however, the belligerent ostrich-cocks know themselves also well its skin to erwehren. They jump up up to 11/2 meters on that occasion and possess an effective weapon with the long claw at the inner toe. So, the ostriches have the best survival-chances in its natural environment.

Outer characteristics From the beak-top until the tail-end, these unairworthy run-birds can reach approximately 2 m of length; the vertex-height of the adult cock is included approximately 2,75 m; the hens are smaller. According to subtype and sex, the total-weight 75-150 kg amounts. One can distinguish 5 subtypes, that are the biggest, the Massai-Strauß. they also differ unimportantly in the coloring. The plumage is black-shiny with the males, only the wing and tail-feathers are knows; the females are colored predominantly dun. The bare skin-parts (neck and legs) are with the male, according to subtype deceased, pink until flesh-colored or blue-gray, with the female dun. The head with the 12 cm long beak is relatively small and leveled off; the beak-split is enough until under the eyes far to the back. The run is busy with Hornschilden and finishes in 2 toes. The chicks are colored white until an age of 2 months until reddish and have black stains at heads and necks. Young cocks carry the fully from-colored plumage only with 3 - 4 years.

Perform courtship display and brood-care Each cock usually gathers several hens around about itself, but the monogamy is just as possible. All live together in large associations. A cock only practices the Vollbalz, however, if it is alone with one of its hens. it lures these in the "Vorbalz" of the others away. Then, it settles before the female on the front-feet and unfolds the white energy and tail-feathers. it tosses the head in this attitude on the back and winds the neck in fast movements back and forth, with what the wings and the tail with-move in the rhythm. Again and again, the dull Balzruf is to be heard. The hen watches immovable until the cock suddenly jumps up. Now, it drops herself to the ground and gives opportunity to the cock so to rise and to mate with it.

If the cock was combined with its 3-6 hens, it selects a Nistplatz, that it cleans carefully. The actual nest consists of a simple deepening, in which all hens its 6-8 eggs each, every second day one, puts together. The eggs are 14-17 cm long, between 11 and 13 cm wide and reaches a weight up to 1,5 kg.

The cock incubates the eggs through the whole night while it is replaced through its "favorite-hen", who is involved at the brood-business alone as well, on the day. its inconspicuous plumage-dress grants also a much better protection with daylight while the cock is camouflaged better in the darkness. 42 - for 48 days is protected the nest carefully before all aggressors, then, the boys slip. Already 48 hours later, they can follow the parents. With its stachligen plumage, they rather than a bird resemble a hedgehog. If an enemy draws near, they scatter in a flash into all directions and lie down flat on the ground while the parents deflect the aggressor. Nevertheless, the small ostriches often become the victim of all possible carnivores.

Endangering The feathers, that were desired already in the antiquity of the Egyptians, were the accident of the bouquet. In the Middle ages, the knights with it decorated its helmets, until that an end almost made ready also the bouquet for many bird-types deadly lady-fashion of the last century. In many places, it was wiped out downright. The business people, who set up ostrich-farms, finally robbed the rescue in order to increase the profit so that could get a big continuance, however. However the demand declined, and the breeders had to give up its gainful business; only in South Africa, some farms could still last. If one doesn't meet suitable precautions today, an endangering of the type could occur fast. Important is, that the bouquet can multiply well also in captivity and can fit also the circumstances well for itself in East-Africa's nature-preserves.