104
"Adult ostrich leg for scale."
Came across a brood of these chicks in a nearby National Park. They stay in parental care for up to 9 months, and only 12% of chicks per nest grow to adult due to their susceptibility to disease and poor weather.
They have a high mortality rate pre-hatch as well in the wild. A parent accidentally stepping on an egg is very very common and the larger the clutch the more common it happens.
Interesting! I wouldn’t have guessed that, but it makes sense. They have huge feet and walk around their eggs often
I know I can’t be the only one that thought “so is the mother behind that tree.. oh.. wait, that’s not a tree”
this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2024
104 points (100.0% liked)
birding
3497 readers
5 users here now
A community for people who like birds, birdwatching and birding in general!
Feel free to share your photos and other birding-related content here. If a photo you post isn't yours, please credit the original creator! Additionally, it would be appreciated if the location of the sighting and a date were given when a photo or question is posted. You do not have to give the precise location, something like "Northern Idaho, June 2023" or even "North-Western US, June 2023" suffices.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS