The East African or Maasai Ostrich


jwg
The East African or Maasai Ostrich
June 26th, 2008: We saw quite a few ostriches at various places. Sometimes there was a solitary one and sometimes there were small flocks. They are capable of traveling very fast (30-40 mph) but we never saw any that weren't grazing or ambling along. If it were true that the ostrich hangs its head in the sand, some of this terrain would be quite good although some of the north african subspecies would do even better; and it is apparently those who get ridden.

The Ostrich (Struthio camelus - which derived from the Greek words for camel sparrow) has always fascinated me; my first encounter was in the Museum of Natural History in NYC when I was a little kid.

As seen in the Museum of Natural History on a safari to New York earlier this year.

Tags: africa2008

3 comments — :

rsc

2008-06-26 04:00 pm (UTC)

There's an interesting sidelight in the part of this Natural History Museum display that didn't make it into the shot. In the foreground are one or two already hatched eggs, and the ostrich chicks that hatched out of them. Off to the right is a small family group of warthogs looking on; hence, presumably, the male ostrich's threat posture. I doubt that the warthogs, being herbivorous, are particularly interested in the ostrich chicks -- they're just passing through -- but the father is taking no chances.

We saw warthogs at various times on this trip; I can't remember whether we ever saw any in the vicinity of ostriches. We saw no ostrich nests or chicks.