The male ostrich can make a 'booming' sound by inflating its long neck
Only males can make the noise as females can just hiss
The video was filmed by Motie Shirinkam at an ostrich farm in Iran
While humans can talk, dogs bark and lions roar, ostriches can make no vocal noise.
However, a video has captured a ostrich 'booming', something only a male can do.
Motie Shirinkam, from Taybad, Iran uploaded the video which seems to be filmed at an ostrich farm.
The long necks of two ostriches stick up over a fence as they look out into the distance. While one remains silent, the animal in the foreground emits an interesting 'boom' as its neck inflates.
Its mouth remains shut but it appears to be taking a breath in between making the noise.
Ostriches in fact inflate their neck to three times its normal size during this process.
While a loud sound that can be heard at a great distance, the 'boom' is at a very low pitch so some might not be able to hear it.
Males use this 'boom' as mating technique whereas female ostriches can only hiss.
Mating rituals are complicated for these flightless birds.
The male alternates wing beats until he attracts a mate and then he will drive away any intruders in the mating area.
They graze until their actions become synchronised at which point the ritual aspect of the procedure begins and feeding ceases to be important.
The cock will return to excitedly flapping his wings and poking the ground with his bill, before symbolically clearing out a nest in the dirt by violently beating his wings.
The hen than runs around him in a circle with wings lowered as the male winds his head in a spiral motion. When this is over he will mount her.
Unlike most birds male ostriches have a retractable 20cm copulatory organ.
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OSTRICHES?
The world's largest bird, an ostrich can grow up to 9ft tall and their powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16ft in a single stride
they are the fast runners of any birds or other two-legged animal and can sprint at over 43mph
Their long necks and keen eye-sight help them see into the distance
They has the largest eye of any land animal, measuring almost 5cm across
Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand
In fact, if they sense trouble is near they press their necks to the ground in an attempt to be less visible
Their plumage blends well with sandy soil so it can seem from a distance that their heads are buried in the sand
Ostrich eggs are the largest of any living bird. They are 15cm long and weigh as much as two dozen chicken eggs
However they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird
The birds have no teeth so swallow pebbles to grind their food
An adult ostrich carries about 2lbs of stone in its three stomachs
No comments:
Post a Comment