Ostriches, the largest living birds, are known for their impressive size and inability to fly. These movements often capture attention. While appearing as a “dance,” they serve distinct natural purposes.
Describing the Ostrich Dance
The “ostrich dance” is an elaborate sequence of movements. A male typically performs these displays by spreading and rhythmically flapping his wings. His long neck may sway, bob, or coil intricately. The display can also involve leg movements such as stomping or prancing, along with head bobbing. The male might lower himself, puffing feathers to appear larger.
Courtship and Mating Rituals
The elaborate “ostrich dance” is primarily a courtship and mating ritual. Males perform these displays to attract females, showcasing fitness and genetic quality. The male’s movements, sometimes called the “kantling,” involve dropping to his knees, waving wings to reveal white tips, and twisting his neck. Deep booming calls, produced by inflating a specialized throat sac, accompany this display and carry over long distances. His beak and shins may also turn vivid red due to hormonal changes, signaling readiness.
If a female is interested, she responds to the male’s vigorous display with subtle cues. She might lower her head to the ground, signaling receptiveness, or walk around him to assess his vigor and stamina. Successful displays lead to the female crouching low to the ground, indicating her acceptance and allowing the male to mount her for copulation. This ritual ensures that the strongest and most fit males are selected for reproduction, contributing to the genetic health of the ostrich population.
Other Communicative Behaviors
Beyond courtship, ostriches use similar movements for various other forms of communication. Males engage in aggressive displays to assert dominance over rivals, which can involve physical confrontations like chest bumping and neck entanglements. These dominance displays also serve to establish social hierarchy within a flock and may include erecting feathers to appear larger and more imposing. Ostriches also use visual cues, such as sudden wing flapping or running, as alarm signals to alert their herd to potential danger.
In a different context, ostriches perform dust bathing, a behavior that might resemble dancing but serves hygienic purposes. Ostriches, lacking the preening oil gland found in most birds, rely on dust to absorb excess oils and remove parasites from their feathers. During dust bathing, they lower their bodies to the ground, wriggle vigorously, and flap their wings to work dust deep into their plumage. This action helps maintain healthy, dry feathers, which is important for insulation and overall well-being.