SOUTH Africa’s largest bird is the ostrich, with males that stand up to 2m in height and weigh an average of 150kg.
It is found along most of the country’s border areas with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The ostrich was commercially bred for its feathers during the late 1800s. Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo became the ostrich capital of the world.
Today its high grade leather is the most profitable product of the bird. The meat, which is low in cholesterol, is very popular.
The males are mostly black, while females are brownish grey.
The voice is a booming ‘boo boo boooooh hoo’, which sounds like the roar of a lion far away. They occur in flocks of 30 to 40 birds when not breeding and can run at speeds of 60km/h.
Males perform an elaborate display dance to impress females.
The ostrich feeds on grass, berries, seeds, succulent plants, small reptiles and insects. Breeding takes place across all months of the year.
The bird’s nest is a scrape in sandy soil, about three metres in diameter. The average is one male per three females, with the male guarding the eggs until the clutch is complete. Each female can lay eight eggs 48 hours apart, so the clutch can include as many as 24 eggs.
Incubation lasts 39 to 53 days, with the male doing duty from late afternoon until sunrise, when his black colour has effective camouflage. The major female is on duty during the day.
Its Zulu name is iNtshe.
