A deep booming song (if one can call it a song) came filtering through the southern grasslands this morning. Was it a lion? Ground hornbill maybe?
Movement to the left of our vehicle caught our attention, and looking towards where the sun was rising, we saw what looked like two long tree stumps bobbing up over the opposite hill crest. As they came closer and emerged from the thicket line, their big black bodies revealed them to be two male ostriches, running fast in our direction.
Male ostriches get very territorial during the breeding season, running up to any other ostrich they happen to see; chasing them away if they are male or putting on a courtship display if it is female. The booming call we had heard is given off by the male, and is mainly heard during the breeding season.
Clearly the breeding season has kicked off, as the first male was being unceremoniously run out of the area by the second.
You can hear the call in the video below:
So what does this mean? We had one male ostrich chasing another in what was almost certainly a territorial dispute, right on the heels of a territorial vocalisation. Both behaviours commonly being associated with breeding. After an incredible 2017 in which the lonely female ostrich finally found a mate (watch the video at the end of the post), does this mating behaviour from the males mean that we might be on the verge of a repeat?
Wouldn’t it be great to have ostrich viewing like this once more?
Male ostriches will aggressively chase off any other males that intrude onto their territory during the breeding season, which, according to the signs, has just commenced. Photograph by Kevin Power
Parental care in ostriches usually lasts around 9 months. From the initial clutch that hatched in October 2016, nine months took us forward to winter of last year. I know well after that the young ostriches were still associating with their mother (unless my memory is playing me false), so maybe it has taken until now for the males of the area to want to breed again, or at least for any females to become receptive.
To be honest I don’t know enough about the ostrich mating cycle to comment with any authority on the possible outcomes here, but I do know that this morning was the first time since the initial arrival of the males during the 2016 drought that I have heard the call of an ostrich on Londolozi. Shortly after we heard the male calling like that the first time, he paired up with the female and the rest is history:
About three kilometres from where we had seen the male ostriches this morning, three females were feeding in a short-grass clearing. From the looks of the group it was two sub-adults and an adult female. Perhaps the original female, perhaps another, but given the attendance of the two younger ones, I’m guessing it was she of the video.
Although this original bird took centre stage in the Valentine’s drama of last year, just as the video was released three other female ostriches wandered in from the Kruger Park, bolstering an already growing Londolozi ostrich population. Given that ostriches only reach maturity at around 2-3 years of age, I think it’s safe to assume that last year’s chicks won’t be breeding this year, but even so, the males now have a choice of four adult females when two years ago only one roamed the grasslands.
Four times the chances of a clutch being laid and raised.
With more choice, the male ostrich(es) might not have to pursue the original female so ardently this breeding season. Photograph by Andrea Sithole.
I know James Souchon posted recently about his hope to have the wild dogs den on Londolozi this winter, but I’ve starred in that movie of hope before, so will wish instead for something different.
I think I’ll rather hope for the announcement over the radio on a cold winter’s morning that a nest has been found, and 10 white globes are lying in it, and we can look forward to some amazing viewing of what will only be Londolozi’s second ever Ostrich Family.
This is wonderful news. It will be great to see ostrich chicks at Londolozi again.
It is lovely to watch the video again. Such a heart warming story.
I know very little about the Ostrich, although I’ve seen them. I think what surprised me the most James was hearing their low bellow! Unexpected. The sound reminds me of a male lion, certainly not a Ostrich! Happy to hear more females are currently in the Londolozi area and I join with you with the hopes for second successful Ostrich family this season.
Would be amazing to see another ostrich nesting on Londolozi (maybe this year you’ll have more than one nest!)!
That’s the hope!
Though I do still think that wild dogs could den on Londolozi this year, there’s always hope!
Oh wonderful
I love this! It was great to see the video again and some of your bright, smiling faces including Amy. I do miss her images and prose but know she is happily pursuing other venues.
I’m hoping for a couple of nests and look forward to seeing the little ones perhaps next fall.
I absolutely loved watching the Ostrich story. I did not realize that there were so few of them there. So four of the young survived from the clutch of about 6 of 7 babies. I am hoping to hear more about this new family and more families to come with more Ostriches coming your way. How exciting.
Hi Judy,
Out of a clutch of I think 10 or 12 eggs (I know Melvin gives the number in the video, but it escapes me now), 6 hatched, and 4 survived.
Hopefully more are on the way!
Best,
James
I assume an Ostrich only defence against a Lion is them not finding the nest or maybe distracting them away from it, but what size predator will an Ostrich actually defend a nest against?
Hi Lachlan; a great question. An ostrich has a serious kick, and I’ve seen footage of them chasing jackals and baboons away from a nest. To what extent they’d stand their ground against a larger predator I can’t say. My guess would be female leopard, as we know hyenas raided the last nest and ate some of the eggs.
Thanks for the info James…I am always amazed that any ostriches make it to adulthood given all the predators around and the fact that the eggs are sitting on the ground in the open.