Ostrich behaviors
Ostriches' running is aided by having just two toes on each foot
(most birds have four), with the large nail on the larger, inner toe
resembling a hoof.
Ostriches' wings reach a span of about 2 metres and are used in
mating displays, to shade chicks, to cover the naked skin of the upper
legs and flanks to conserve heat, and as "rudders" to help them change
direction while running.
Ostriches normally spend the winter months in pairs or alone and
during breeding season and sometimes during extreme rainless periods
they live in nomadic herds of five to 50 birds led by a top hen, that
often travel together with other grazing animals, such as zebras or
antelopes.
Territorial fights between males for a harem of two to seven
females usually last just minutes, but they can easily cause death
through slamming their heads into opponents.
Ostriches perform a complex mating ritual consisting of the male
alternating wing beats until he attracts a female, when they will go to
the mating area and then he will drive away all intruders.
All of the herd's hens place their eggs in the dominant hen’s
3m-wide nest, though her own are given the prominent centre place; each
female can determine her own eggs amongst others.