What It’s Like Inside an Ostrich Nest

Ostriches are strange-looking birds. They are also the largest, heaviest, and fastest-running birds on the planet. Yet, like their other feathered cousins, they reproduce by laying eggs, and the parents have the responsibility of protecting the eggs until they hatch. In this fascinating YouTube clip, you can see the process for yourself. Then, read on to find out about ostrich reproduction in more detail.

Ostrich Romance

In the wild, ostriches live in the dry and sandy regions of central and southern Africa. They live in flocks of between 5 and 50 individuals. However, when it comes to breeding, they form groups of males and females with complex relationship dynamics that can vary by region. Males are territorial and compete for the attention of 3 to 5 females. He will perform an elaborate display that includes hissing, bowing, and shaking his feathers to impress the females and intimidate other males.

Once paired up, ostriches construct communal nests, which are essentially holes scraped in the ground. These need to be large enough to hold between 15 and 60 eggs. The dominant female lays her eggs in the center, where they have the best chance of hatching successfully. Each female lays between 7 and 10 eggs.

Laying and Caring for Eggs

Ostrich eggs are large! They are about 6 inches long, 5 inches wide, and weigh around 3 pounds. The only other creatures to ever produce larger eggs were dinosaurs! As you can see in the clip, they are a whitish color and are shiny. Males and females share the incubation duties, which last between 42 and 46 days. Various females take the daytime shift, while males take the night shift. The eggs have little holes called respiratory pores, which allow oxygen to reach the developing embryo.

During hatching, the chick first uses its beak to pip into the egg’s air cell, a space formed between the two shell membranes as the egg cools after being laid. Then, it pips through the outer shell. After pipetting, the chick turns around inside the egg, cracking it open almost completely as it moves. Now, it can easily crawl and wriggle out of the egg. The parents see and hear this, knowing that their new family is emerging.

Ostrich Chick Protection

Newly hatched ostriches move around immediately and are vulnerable to attack. Predators include cheetahs, lions, and spotted hyenas. However, many other animals, including Egyptian vultures and jackals, will take ostrich chicks and eggs.

Ostriches living in herds are safer than those living in pairs. There is safety in numbers. They are also willing to fight back to protect themselves and their eggs or chicks. Ostriches have a very powerful kick, kick and sharp claws on their toes. They will also use their large bodies as a battering ram to knock predators back. Ostrich chicks stay close to their parents, especially the male, for about two months. After that, they begin to stray farther but may remain with the flock for up to 12 to 18 months.

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