Single males defend large territories, court females who enter, singly or in small groups, and guide them to a nesting hollow, where several different hens may lay up to 30 eggs, at the rate of one every other day. This is too many eggs for one ostrich to cover and the extras are left around the nest and fail to develop. Incubation is divided into day and night shifts, the black male by night, the female by day when her neutral color makes her harder to see. The female who incubates the nest is known as the 'major' hen and is the first to lay an egg in the nest scrape. The young that hatch in December or January tend to band together and adult pairs may creche their young together making flocks of up to 60 chicks.
Ostriches are very fast runners and are able to maintain their pace for a considerable time.
This, together with the fact that they have the ability to swerve sharply, sometimes enables them to outwit predators such as lions, which are very fond of their flesh. Special Thanks to Thomson Safaris and Tanzania National Parks for contributing Tanzanian information. All rights reserved.