Ostrich Facts

Native to Africa and best known as flightless birds, ostriches are related to some of the world's other flightless birds, kiwis, cassowaries, emus and rheas.

Here are the top ten ostrich fun facts.

• Ostriches are the world's largest birds. >Males can grow up to nine feet in height and can weigh approximately three hundred pounds. Females are slightly smaller.
• An ostrich egg can measure six inches long and weigh three pounds, almost as much as two dozen chicken eggs.
• An ostrich does not hide its head in sand. It places its head close to the ground to make itself appear smaller when it sees a predator.
• Kicking and running are the primary ostrich defense mechanisms. The ostrich is the world's fastest running bird, reaching speeds of approximately forty miles per hour. They kick forward, and their kick carries a big wallop.
• Ostriches are domesticated and farmed around the world for their eggs, meat and feathers.
• An ostrich feather can measure over two feet long and five inches wide.
• Ostriches regrow lost feathers.
• An ostrich does bite. However, an ostrich does not have teeth, so many people feed them with an open hand.
• An ostrich can live up to forty years.
• A group of ostriches is sometimes called a herd or flock. A male ostrich is called a rooster or a cock and a female ostrich is called a hen.

© 2010 Patricia A. Michaels