Taxonomy of Group

Ostrich

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Struthioniformes
Family: Struthionidae
Genus: Struthio
Species: S. camelus

Location

  • occupies the Sahara in Africa, the rain forest belt in the southern part of Africa, East Africa, and much of Asia Minorostrich_01
  • most common ostriches prefer open land and are native to the savannas and the Sahel of Africa
  • in Southwest Africa, they inhabit the desert areas of the country

Physical Characteristics

External

  • feathers
    • feathers of adult males are mostly black with white primaries and a white tail
    • feathers of females are grayish-brown and white
  • skin color varies depending on the subspecies, but most are pinkish or gray
  • the head and neck are nearly bare with a thin layer of fine feathers
  • ostriches have strong legs that lacks feathers but is covered in scales (red in males and black in females) on the lower upright part of the legs
  • each foot only has two toes, which aids in running
  • the wing span is about two meters (6 feet and 7 inches)
    • serves for insulation to cover the naked skin on the upper legs and flanks to conserve heat or release heat
    • aids in rapid breaking, turning, and doing zigzag maneuvers
  • the sternum is flat and lacks the keel to which the wing muscles attach to the breastbone
  • the beak is flat and broad with a rounded tip
  • have the largest eye of any land animal at around five centimeters
  • they can grow up to seven to nine feet and weigh from 220 pounds to 350 poundsostrich_02

Internal

  • lacks a gallbladder
  • has three stomachs and a cecum, which is a pouch connected to the junction of the small and large intestines, that is 71 cm long
  • secrets urine separately from feces unlike all other living birds

Behavioral Characteristics

Defense

  • despite many beliefs, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand
  • will lie low and press their long necks to the group in an attempt to look less visible
  • kicks from their sharp claws can kill a human or predator like a lion
  • their plumage camouflages well with the sandy soil

Movement

  • diurnal creatures
  • typically live in small herds that contain less than a dozen birds
  • cannot fly due to the lack of a keelostrich
  • can run at 31 mph and sprint up to 43 mph
  • legs can cover 10 to 16 feet in a single stride
  • may use their wings to do a quick change of directions while running

Diet

  • omnivores
  • usually eat plants, roots, seeds, insects, lizards, and other small creatures found in their harsh environment
  • they lack teeth, so they swallow rocks to grind their food

Reproduction

  • malesostrich 4
  • all of the hens place their eggs in the dominant hen’s nest
  • the dominant hen incubates the eggs during the day and male incubates them at night
  • each egg are aroung 15cm long and can weigh as much as two dozen chicken eggs
  • average life span in the wild is 30 to 40 years

Emu

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Casuariiformes/Struthioniformes
Family: Dromaiidae
Genus: Dromaius
Species: D. novaehollandiae

Location

  • commonly inhabits the entire continent of Australia
  • prefers environments of grasslands, Savannah forests, and subtropical climates
  • drawn to areas with standing water
  • usually avoid dense forests, largely populated areas, and desert regions due to water restrictions

Physical Characteristics

Externalemu_tall.jpg

  • height can range from 4.9 to 6.2 feet and weigh from 66 to 121 pounds
  • feathers have an almost black color that will fade to a grayish brown in the sun
  • the tail feathers are stiff and hard
  • chicks have stripes of brown and cream feathers
  • small, useless wings that cannot be used to fly
  • each foot has three toes and nails
  • long necks and flexible legs

Internal

  • a pouch that is part of the windpipe and is used for communication when inflated

Behavior

Defense

  • stiff tails can be rattled to scare off predators like dingoes
  • their heavy feet and nails allows emus to strike and injure predators
  • emu calls can turn into a hiss  that warns off dingoes

Movement

  • diurnal organisms
  • live in pairs or a flock
  • generally runs at around 25 mph but can sprint at 30 mph
  • jump seven feet straight up right

Diet

  • omnivores
  • eat a variety of plants, seeds, crickets, ladybugs, moth larvae, ants, fruit, grasshoppers, beetles

Reproduction

  • by inflating the pouch in its windpipe, emus can produce grunting noises that are typically used during courtship and breeding season
    • can be heard up to 1.2 miles awayemus_chicks
  • breeding starts in the Australian summer (December) and the eggs are laid a couple months later
  • once the female lays 5 to 15 eggs, the male incubates the eggs for the next eight weeks without leaving for food or any necessities
  • a male can lose up to one-third of his body weight during incubation

Kiwi

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apterygiformes/Struthioniformes
Family: Apterygidae
Genus: Apteryx
Species: haasti (great spotted kiwi or roroa), mantelli (brown kiwi), rowi (row), australis (tokoeka), owenii (little spotted kiwi)

Locationkiwi_adult_01

  • can mainly be found in New Zealand
  • tends to inhabit grasslands or swampy forests where there are many shrubs

Physical Characteristics

External

  • the largest species of kiwis is the brown kiwi, which can be from 20 to 25 inches tall
  • the smallest species of kiwis is the little spotted kiwi, which can be from 14 to 18 inches tall
  • feathers hang loosely, are fluffier and hair-like, and vary in color from plain brown to speckled patterns
  • lacks a keel on the sternum where flight muscles are attached
  • tiny wings are about one inch long, havea claw on the tip, and is nonfunctional
  • strong legs that makes up about 1/3 of the bird’s total body weight and used for running and fighting
  • the bill contains nostrils and sensory pads
  • each foot has four toes
  • no tail

Behavior

Activity

  • mostly nocturnal but can sometimes be found in the day
  • typically rests in logs or underground burrows and comes out as night begins to fall
  • generally solitary animals but are known to live in pairs for parts of their lives
  • has a possessive attitude and will mark its territory with their droppings
  • can produce shrieking noises, purrs, grunts, snorts, and hisses to communicate or scare others away
  • can easily outrun a human

Diet

  • feeds on worms, grubs, bugs, berries, seeds, spiders, beetles, and other invertebrates
  • its great sense of smell is helpful in locating food beneath the soil

Reproduction

  • digs burrows instead of building a nest
  • about one to two eggs are laid per clutch, andthree clutches can be laid per year
  • up to six large eggs can be laid each year
  • incubation period can be from 75 to 85 days
  • chicks have a 95% mortality rate
  • a larger female in a pair can kick the male away if she does not desire his company
  • to attract mates, males follow females around while constantly grunting
  • males do not have mating songs or attractive feathers
  • kiwis change mates every couple of yearskiwi.jpg

Phylogenetic Tree
phylogenetic tree 3

The phylogenetic tree shows the evolutionary relationships between different species based on their physical or genetic characteristics. Those that are closely connected on the tree are more related to one another than the other species. This tree shows that ostriches are closest to the common ancestor and that the other species branches off from struthionidae by becoming further differentiated. The Order Struthioniformes are paraphyletic to Tinamiformes, in which only some of its descendant groups share a common ancestral group with ratites. This phylogenetic tree was created from the analysis from mitochondrial DNA.