Ostrich Nandu - description, habitat, interesting facts

The ostrich is a unique bird: having a weight of up to two and a half meters and a weight of up to 150 kg, they do not know how to fly. It is necessary to hear the word "ostrich" as Africa and Australia immediately emerge in the consciousness, where these flightless birds mostly live. But there is another continent that is the birthplace of one of the species of these birds - South America. And it goes on Nandu.

Historians say that this bird appeared a long time ago. It is even believed that she was the first of the genus of birds that have something in common with ostriches. People met with the panda in the 16th century, the Indians kept them as domestic livestock, using eggs, feathers, skin and eating delicious meat in the household. In addition, ostriches were used as a force for dogs and dogs. Nanda come in two forms - small (Darwin) and ordinary (northern).

Description

Ostrich rhea is inferior to African and Australian in size. Thus, the growth of the largest bird does not exceed one and a half meters.And in terms of weight, they will be lighter than their African brethren - the mass varies between 35-45 kg. The neck is covered with plumage - feathers are soft and dense. The legs are also somewhat different from the extremities of other species - they have not two fingers, but three, interconnected by a membrane. A pandu is like a bird and has wings, but they are used only as a balance when the ostrich runs on long strong legs. It works well for him - it develops speed on a par with a car - up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Lifestyle

In hot weather, spend most of the day in the water, escaping from the heat and swimming.

Ostriches live in small flocks of 30-45 individuals, sometimes about a hundred individuals can live together. When it is time to marry, the pack is divided into small groups. There is no clear hierarchy.In general, nandu are self-sufficient birds and are kept by the collective only because it is easier to provide security both for themselves and their relatives. If there is no danger in the territory of residence, then the males leave the pack and start living alone.

Nanda has no migration, they live in one place for themselves, without changing it for years. Only during some natural disasters - in case of fires, for example - do you have to remove from the inhabited territories and migrate to new ones.

Nutrition

Nandu is an omnivorous bird, so it will not perish from hunger. Prefering plant food, eating grass (alfalfa or clover) and grain, gnawing plants, reaching for branches and tearing fruits with berries, digging up rhizomes, not averse to catch an insect, some kind of crayfish, spider, beetle and other arthropods, fish. Without excessive fastidiousness, they eat carrion and the excrement of other animals. They are said to be good snake hunters, but this is not scientifically proven. Like camels, they may not drink for a long time and go without water, replenishing body fluids with food.From time to time, to improve the digestive process, small pebbles (the so-called gastroliths) are swallowed.

Breeding

Ostriches become sexually mature in the third or fourth year of life. They are polygamous, during the mating period are divided into groups consisting of one male and several (up to seven pieces) females. The little group moves away from the herd and fertilization takes place. The male digs a hole about half a meter deep, and ostrich birds lay there straw-colored eggs (about 30-35 pieces). Eggs are large - up to 22 cm long, 13-14 cm wide and a shell thickness up to 0.5 mm. Not only large, but also heavy - the testicle weight can be more than two kilograms (these are about 30-40 chicken eggs, but maybe up to 60). Different females carry different eggs, and the shell can be shiny and glossy or porous and matte.

The male is engaged in incubating at night, while the ostrich is on duty during the day, replacing each other - a blessing, the protective color makes it possible to go unnoticed. After 35-45 days, strausits ​​are born. Moreover, they do it this way: about an hour before hatching, the chick begins to beat with all its might with its beak to certain points on the egg shell.Having made several holes, he breaks the shell with the back of his head, which is why many newborns have hematomas on the back of their heads. True, fast passing. When the chicks hatch from all eggs, the male destroys the eggs that did not give offspring. This serves the emergence of a huge number of flies, which feed the children.

Ostrich meat is sighted, physically developed, with a gun on the body, their mass is 1.1-1.2 kilograms. Knowing how to move well from the first hours of life, they leave with dad to look for food. In the first 2 months, their body is covered with yellow-black setae, a cape of red color, dark stripes pass along the whitish-dirty collar. Only after a year and a half children grow up and turn black. Parents fight among themselves for taking care of the brood - the winner (usually the father turns out to be) caring for the chicks until they grow up to about six months old. He protects them from all sorts of adversity, hiding his large wings.

Interesting Facts

1. In addition to South America, a small number of nandu lives in Germany. And they got into German nature as a result of an incident: on one of the ostrich farms,where they lived, there were fragile cages, insufficiently high hedges and undisciplined working personnel (yes, and there are slobs in Germany!). Several pairs simply escaped and began to live-live in natural conditions, multiplying rapidly. Now, scientists from all over the world travel to this place to study how ostriches behave in winter.
2. By and large, nandu (along with emu and cassowary) are not ostriches. At the end of the 19th century, they were separated into a separate family, nandoobraznye. But, thanks to the amazing similarity with the ostriches, they are considered and called this class.
3. When the nandu sees any danger or is dissatisfied with something, he screams loudly and shrilly. The cry consists of two syllables - “nand! Doo!”. Therefore, the bird carries such a nickname. And he can also frighten hiss in the manner of an angry cat. Such a hiss works - the enemies get scared and run away.
4. In order for the parasitic insects to leave the body, the ostriches bathe in the sand and dust.
5. There was a time when the population was threatened with extinction - the ostrich hunt almost completely destroyed the panda. But the discovery of ostrich farms helped rectify the situation.
6. They are said to be good snake hunters, but this is not scientifically proven.
7. There are many albinos among the nandus who have white feathers and light blue eyes.
8. The ostrich is famous for the beauty of feathers. Contrary to popular belief, they are not pulled out, but carefully cut off next to the skin, making the procedure twice a year.
9. Ostriches live a long time (if they do not fall on the hunter’s sight) - about 70 years.
10. At the tip of the wing, the nandu has a sharp claw, useful in battles with opponents and during mating games. But he uses them quite rarely.
11. Often, rhea is combined with cows, deer or llamas grazing nearby, which benefits both sides. Birds notice danger due to their excellent eyesight, and animals can smell the enemy. It turns out a sort of symbiosis.
12. These walking birds have few enemies - jaguars, coyotes and pumas. For the most part, birds die from shooting - people like panda meat and eggs. Yes, and farmers shoot birds that came to their lands, because they believe that they are a lot of harm.
13. Now ostriches are bred because of meat, feathers and eggs, making special farms and creating conditions for living.
14. Ostrich runs away from enemies and pursuers not in a straight line, but in zigzags, trying to confuse the tracks. The fugitive may suddenly fall, stretching his legs and neck.The grass hides the bird, and the pursuers believe that it has disappeared. After some time, the Nanda jumps up sharply and rushes in a different direction.
15. Many beauties would envy the eyes of a panda - they are big and with thick fluffy eyelashes.
16. The shell of ostrich eggs is thick and strong - they say that the Indians, who hold nandu in their household, used eggs as cooking utensils.

Video: Nanda ostrich (Rheidae)