Moult of wing and tail-feathers in the Ostrich, Struthio camelus

Structure and moult of wing and tail of a full-grown Ostrich, Struthio camelus, are described. In the wing, at least three feather generations could be recognized. The pattern of moult is more or less symmetrical in both wings and the sequence of feather replacement is not random. The tail consisted of 93 feathers of two different generations. Moult in the tail proceeds asymmetrically and seems to be fully irregular. The phylogenetic significance of these findings is discussed.