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| The Ostrich |
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Among birds, the ostrich is a record-breaker. It is the tallest and the heaviest of all
birds. An ostrich stands up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. That's more than three feet
(one meter) taller than the average man. And this bird can weigh as much as 350
pounds (159 kilograms).
birds. An ostrich stands up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. That's more than three feet
(one meter) taller than the average man. And this bird can weigh as much as 350
pounds (159 kilograms).
- One ostrich egg is about as big as 24 chicken eggs.
- While the huge ostrich is a bird—with wings and feathers—it does not fly.
Instead it runs. - It has long, strong legs. One stride can cover up to 16 feet (4.9 meters)—
about the length of a mid-size family car! The bird is speedy, too. It can run
just over 40 miles (64 kilometers) an hour for a short distance, and can keep
up a speed of more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour over longer
distances. - The ostrich uses its short wings for balance, holding them outstretched when
it runs. On each foot, it has two toes and a four-inch-long (10-centimeter-
long) claw, which help give it traction as it speeds along. - Strong legs don't only carry an ostrich where it wants to go. They can also be
used for self-defense. If an ostrich is cornered and can't run from danger, it
will kick with a force mighty enough to kill a lion. - When danger approaches, an ostrich will often lie low to hide, stretching its
neck along the ground. Its feather colors blend with the sandy soil where it
lives. - From far away, the position the ostrich takes can look as though the bird has
buried its head in the sand. Many people thought that was what ostriches
did when they were trying to hide, but that is not true. This myth began
because of an optical illusion. - Ostriches are mainly vegetarian, eating roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds. But
they will also eat insects, lizards, and other small creatures. - Ostriches generally live in the vicinity of grazing animals such as wildebeest,
antelopes, and zebras. It's a good partnership: The grazers stir up insects and
rodents for the ostriches to eat, and the ostriches help alert the grazers to
dangers such as approaching lions. - An ostrich group, called a herd, generally numbers about 12 individuals.
Male ostriches compete with one another for control of a group of several
females. A herd has a dominant male—the one who successfully fends off
challengers—and a dominant female. She mates only with him, though he
may mate with other females as well. - All the egg-laying females, called hens, lay their eggs in the nest of the
dominant female. Then that female—whose eggs are positioned in the
center of the nest, the most well-protected spot—and her mate take care
of all the eggs in that one nest. - A communal nest may have from 15 to 60 eggs in it, and each egg can be
up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and weigh 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms).Eggs
hatch after about 40 days of incubation. - The ostrich chicks hatch feathered and ready to walk around. They leave the
nest within days to follow their parents, who protect them from the hot sun or
rain by keeping them huddled under their body or outstretched wings. - By the time the young ostriches are 18 months old, they are fully grown and
have become record-breaking birds like their parents. Text by Catherine D.
Hughes
| Conservation Status : Conservation Dependent |