Ostriches? Did someone say Ostriches? Don't hide your head in the sand, here is everything you want to know about our largest bird friend.
What do ostriches eat?
Ostriches are omnivores, which means they eat both vegetation and meat. Although they prefer plants — especially roots, seeds and leaves — they also eat locusts, lizards, snakes and rodents, according to the San Diego Zoo. They also eat sand and pebbles, to help grind up their food inside their gizzard, which is a small pouch where food is crushed and ripped up before it reaches the stomach.
Ostriches don't need to drink water; they get all the water they need from the plants they eat. However, they do drink if they come across a watering hole.
Mating habits
Male ostriches are called cocks or roosters, and females are called hens. A group of ostriches is called a flock. Flocks can consist of up to 100 birds, though most have 10 members, according to the San Diego Zoo. The group has a dominant male and a dominant female and several other females. Lone males come and go during mating season.
To get a female's attention, males bow and flap their wings outward to display their plumage. When they are ready to mate, the male's beak and shins will turn bright red. Sometimes, his neck will change to a red color to match. Females also change color when they are ready to mate. Their feathers will turn a silvery color, according to the American Ostrich Association.
*(last time I flapped my wings to get a femme's attention, she was none too pleased)
http://www.livescience.com/27433-ostriches.html
