68 Struthionidae Family STRUTHIONIDAE ostriches
One living species in single genus Struthio. Largest living bird. Now confined to Africa. Introduced to Aust. in nineteenth century, where now small little-known feral population. Broad heavy body, long neck, small head and massive thighs. Flightless; wings reduced and functioning only in display; unique in having only two toes. No oil gland. Scratches head direct; true yawning; pants with open mouth, exposing bare skin below bill, to regulate temperature; rests with head and neck upright and also lies with neck stretched on ground; often dusts in sand but does not bathe. Polygamous; females take share in incubation, unlike other Struthioniformes.
Struthio camelus Ostrich
Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1958, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1: 155 - restricted to North Africa (Rothschild 1919), and Sennar, Sudan (Stresemann 1926).
Both English and scientific names have a long derivation from the Greek ~eya<; (J'tpoo86<; (large bird) and the late Latin avis struthio. Pliny called the bird struthiocamelus.
POLYTYPIC Extralimital: nominate camelus, and three other subspecies native to Africa, Arabia; australis; possibly australis x camelus hybrids, introduced to Aust.
FIELD IDENTIFICATION Height, erect male 210- plex, bluebush Maireana, Heterodendron oleifolium and native 275 cm, female 175-190 cm. The largest living bird, consider grasses; predominant tree, myall Acacia sowdenii; isolated ably taller and more heavily built than Emu or human. Large patches of mulga Acacia aneura; chenopods round salt-lakes. size accentuated by long, slender unfeathered neck and ro Watering points mainly troughs, some dams; no natural per tund bulky body. Wings prominent and movable, usually held manent water known. Average annual rainfall at Stirling drooping across thighs and flanks. Legs long, with bulging North, just S of range, 259 mm; boundary of arid and semi unfeathered thighs; fleshy foot has only two toes, so foot arid zones. prints distinctive. Sexes differ, female being a little smaller History of farming and releases in Aust. not well re than males and with brownish instead of black plumage. corded {but see Distribution}. Decline of feral populations in DESCRIPTION ADULT MALE. Body plumage black Aust. may not be related to human activities: population N of above and below, contrasting with white wings and tail-feath Port Augusta decreased during severe drought, 1980-82 (R. ers held curled and drooping. Head flat and unfeathered, with Henderson). prominent dark eyes and rather flattened duck-like bill. Neck almost bare, pinkish or redder when breeding. Thighs simi DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION Natural larly coloured and featherless, showing prominent muscula range through Africa and Arabian region; syriacus of Arabia ture; tarsi and toes, pinkish grey, becoming reddish or bluish now probably extinct. anteriorly during breeding season. ADULT FEMALE. Slightly Introduced to Aust.; either subspecies australis or came smaller and much less conspicuous than male; plumage gen Ius x australis hybrids first introduced 1869; then by 1880s to erally drab brown or brownish grey, with neck more covered NSW, Vic., SA for plume trade. Released from farms in by greyish down. JUVENILE. Small downy young are buffish NSW, Vic., SA and WA in 1920s and 1930s when trade col with broken black longitudinal stripes on head and neck. lapsed after W orld War I; local breeding populations became Larger young of both sexes have greyish-brown feathers with established on some farms (Condon 1969; D. Jones): NSW: paler tips. South Head, Sydney (Campbell 1899); Hawkesbury Agric. SIMILAR SPECIES Unmistakable. College, Richmond; Yanco Experimental Farm, MIA (Aust. Gregarious, flightless birds, easily distinguished from Encycl. vol. 7). Vic.: Murray Downs Stn, near Swan Hill. SA: Emus by greater size, longer bare neck, broad body shape and state government enacted legislation to encourage Ostrich prominent movable wings. Walk sedately; run very swiftly farming in 1882 (Condon 1969); in 1890, colony of 626; by with neck and head held high rather than extended forward. 1912, 1345 birds, mostly near Port Augusta and Meningie Calls consist of a variety of hisses, snorts and other hoarse (Aust. Encycl. 7). Full extent of releases, not known. NSW: noises; breeding males repeatedly utter loud booming calls commercial breeding on Murgah Stn, SE of Moulamein, in with roaring quality. early 1920s; birds released soon after, range expanded to ad jacent W oorooma East Stn; breeding reported from then to HABITAT Little known in Aust. Information from B. the early 1940s (D. Jones in Aust. Atlas). Vic.: commercial Arnold and R. Henderson. N of Port Augusta, in sheep-graz breeding on Murray Downs Stn, near Swan Hill (D. Jones in ing areas, occupy sandplain and low sand-rises, with scattered Aust. Atlas). SA: between 1913 and 1933 released at the salt-lakes and claypans; low open shrubland of saltbush Atri- following sites (Long 1981): Campbell Park Stn, between L.