male; black wings and back; long neck, legs (South Africa; 2007-07-16)
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Common Ostrich
Struthio camelus
Native Range: Africa
Notes:
one of several flightless "ratite" birds that makes its living by walking and running on strong legs; defends itself with powerful kicks; can run as fast as 40 mph, the fastest land speed of any living bird; also lays the largest eggs of any living bird; eats mostly plants but also some invertebrates; lives in nomadic groups of about 5-50 birds; breeding system consists of harems in which a territorial male fights for the mating rights to several females; altogether, the so-called "ratite" birds consist of several ancient lineages that are evolutionarily distinct enough as to warrant placement into several different taxonomic orders (Struthioniformes in the case of ostriches).
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