Mating Habits of Ostriches

Breeding Season

• In their native habitat, the ostrich breeding season begins in March or April. The rainy season then begins just after the female ostriches have laid their eggs. By the time the eggs have hatched, the rain has ensured that there is plenty of vegetation such as plants and seeds for them to eat. While some ostriches are as young as 2 years old when they begin to reproduce, others do not reach sexual maturity until they reach 4 years of age. Female ostriches are usually able to reproduce around 6 months earlier than males.

Mates

• Male ostriches are territorial, defending an area and his female mates from other males. Although a male ostrich forms a breeding pair with a dominant female, he may also mate with other females within a herd. One male ostrich may mate with between two and seven females in a single breeding season. Before mating, males practice courtship rituals, which involve flapping and shaking their wings and tail rhythmically while lowering their bodies to the ground. The male then approaches the female with wings outstretched, and mating will occur if the female ostrich consents.

Nesting

• Once ostriches have mated, the male uses his strong legs to dig a shallow hole in the ground, which will be used as a nest. The dominant female ostrich lays her eggs in the center of the nest but the male's other mates will also lay their eggs in the same nest. The dominant female is able to identify her own eggs and ensure that they occupy the best position in the nest. These shared nests often contain about 25 eggs, although this number can vary because each female is capable of producing between two and 11 eggs. Ostrich eggs usually measure about 6 inches in length and weigh approximately 3 pounds. The male ostrich and the dominant female take turns to incubate the eggs for a period of six weeks. The male usually incubates the eggs overnight and the female takes over and incubates them during the day. At this time, adult ostriches also guard the eggs from predators such as jackals.

Chicks

• Ostrich chicks are able to run just minutes after they have hatched and begin to follow their father. The male ostrich takes on the majority of the work in caring for the chicks, teaching them important skills such as foraging and defending themselves. Groups of newly hatched chicks can contain up to around 40 individuals but only about 10 percent of these will survive threats such as predators long enough to reach independence after a year.