Interesting ostrich facts

September 28, 2009 | In: Animal facts for kids



The ostrich is the biggest known bird on the whole wide world

The average adult male is between 8 and 10 feet tall and weighs in at over 250 pounds.

It is unable to fly and belongs to the Ratite family, which literally means flightless.

An ostrich egg can weigh about 3 pounds. That’s equivalent to 2 dozen chicken eggs.

Weighing in at over 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), an ostrich egg is the largest single cell on the planet! As the egg matures, it develops into a young bird made up of many cells.

Ostrich eggs are about the size of cantaloupes and are the largest eggs produced by any animal living today. Their shells are also very thick and strong — an adult human can stand on one without breaking it!

There are 3 main species of ostriches of which only one, the Struthio Camelus Domesticus (the African Black), is found in captivity.

Ostriches live in small herds that typically contain less than a dozen birds

Ostriches are the second fastest animal in the world, and the fastest 2 legged animal, and can run at 45 miles per hour (70 km/h).

Ostriches live between 30 and 70 years.

An ostrich’s legs are so powerful that a single kick at a predator, such as a lion, can be fatal. Their strong legs also make them good runners, with a top speed of about 40 mph (70 km/hr), so they can usually outrun their predators rather than kick them.

However, their leg power isn’t matched by brain power. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.


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