Struthio camelus Common Ostrich Volstruis
Vista Vistas, Oct 2018
As the SABAP map below shows, Ostriches are found across much of the Waterberg. To what extent the ancestral Common Ostrich occurred here is unknown but its unlikely that it had the present distribution as the bird's preferred habitat of open plains in the Waterberg is limited. There is a farm north of Vaalwater, though, Vogelstruisfontein KR69, named after the bird, so they were probably found here at least, if not more widely. The ostriches that have been widely introduced into the area are not the indigenous southern African species (the Common Ostrich) but are hybrids – essentially poultry birds - derived from crossing two species, the Common Ostrich with the Northern Ostrich, this being the Oudtshoorn stock that was bred originally for feather quality and subsequently for meat and skins.
As the SABAP map below shows, Ostriches are found across much of the Waterberg. To what extent the ancestral Common Ostrich occurred here is unknown but its unlikely that it had the present distribution as the bird's preferred habitat of open plains in the Waterberg is limited. There is a farm north of Vaalwater, though, Vogelstruisfontein KR69, named after the bird, so they were probably found here at least, if not more widely. The ostriches that have been widely introduced into the area are not the indigenous southern African species (the Common Ostrich) but are hybrids – essentially poultry birds - derived from crossing two species, the Common Ostrich with the Northern Ostrich, this being the Oudtshoorn stock that was bred originally for feather quality and subsequently for meat and skins.
SwebeSwebe, Sep 2015