Ostrich: Not every lion will survive such a hunt. The real danger and behavior of the largest bird (10 photos)

Let's face it: dinosaurs are hopelessly outdated. This group of lizards glued their paws together 65 million years ago, and in the meantime evolution did not stand still. Whether it’s the birds’ business, they remain at the forefront of evolution to this day. There are even those among them who can kick a lion and a cheetah. Look at the African ostrich!





Ostrich: a bird for those who know a lot about size.

To surpass the faceless winged mass, the African ostrich forgot how to fly. It has neither powerful pectoral muscles nor a keel, to which hypertrophied muscles are attached in ordinary birds. Even the feathers were well degraded. Now they are basically unable to support the animal in the air.



But they are very warm, ostriches can be raised even in Siberia!

I agree, at first glance, the advantages are so-so. But having lost the ability to fly, the ostrich began to develop its legs and strengthen its bones. The result of this modernization is up to 270 centimeters in height and 150 kilos in weight! No living bird can boast such impressive characteristics.





Most predators are afraid to even look in the direction of a large bird, which is what it takes advantage of. The Steroid Sparrow has colonized savannas and semi-deserts around African equatorial forests. But the majority does not mean everything. Big seals and hyenas still pose a serious danger to our hero.



But the ostrich is not like a defenseless lamb. His huge eyes, larger than his brain, constantly monitor the wasteland for suspicious activity. Herds of ungulates are aware of the birds' keen vision and try to hang out closer to them. And the birds don’t mind. If they miss the attack, the herbivores will serve as an excellent human shield. Most ruminants are not capable of accelerating to 70 kilometers per hour in a couple of seconds. But an ostrich can. This means that a meat eater would rather choose meat than chicken.



And he will do the right thing, because an ostrich needs legs not only for running. Each finger of the immensely swung limbs is armed with a huge and strong claw. With the help of such a weapon, a bird can cause serious injuries or even kill a young lion!



It is not entirely clear why the winged athlete does not use them to obtain nutritious meat, but eats only grains, young roots and lizards. Perhaps it’s the small head and wide toothless beak. Neither chew nor swallow a large animal. Chagrin!



What can I say, they don’t even use their paws during fights for females. But all the prerequisites for this are there: males collect harems and regularly fight for the most beautiful young ladies. When the stage of active fighting is over, the male will impregnate all of them, but he really loves only one of them.



Fights between males are usually of a purely ritual nature.

When all the ladies have laid eggs, the male will drive them away, keeping only the strongest girl with him. Together they will incubate the eggs: she during the day, he at night. At this time, the married couple turns into 2 furious piles of feathers, any unwary traveler risks getting a claw between the eyes.



Despite excellent protection, most ostrich babies are not destined to hatch. The outermost eggs always end up unfinished. But even if the chick is normally formed, it may not have enough strength to break through the thick shell. Many ostrich chicks are born with bruises and concussions - and they are lucky.



Ostrich chicks are sighted and active from the first minutes after birth, and after 2 weeks they are able to accelerate to 50 km/h!

After the birth of the first babies, the female breaks the eggs with the unborn children. Their smell will attract flies, which the newborn birds will feed on for several days. For the next 4 years, the ostrich chicks will follow their father and learn to survive in this harsh world. If they are lucky, the babies will stay here for a very long time; an African ostrich can live 75 years!