Ostrich Facts for Kids

An ostrich is a large flightless bird native to the African continent. Once upon a time, the bird was found in abundance in Africa and Asia minor, but large-scale hunting and excessive loss of habitat spelled its doom. In fact, one species - the Arabian Ostrich, was virtually wiped off from the planet. Today, the herds of ostriches are restricted to the Savanna and Sahel regions in Africa.

Ostrich Facts

Contrary to the popular belief, the ostrich does not bury its head in the ground when it's in danger, but instead hides or runs at the first sign of lurking danger. At times, especially when there is no place to hide, it may just lie down with its head flat on the ground, which makes it appear as if the head is buried beneath the mud. When cornered, it's known to become aggressive and has the capacity to deliver a fatal blow with its long legs.

Appearance: The tallest as well as the heaviest among the living birds, the ostrich can grow up to a height of 9 feet and weigh approximately 150 to 300 lbs. The long legs and neck helps the bird in keeping its head at a decent height, which is very useful to keep an eye on predators. When fully stretched, the wingspan of a fully grown ostrich can spread up to a length of 6 feet.

Diet: Ostriches are omnivores, and most often feed on shrubs, grass and seeds, and sometimes on insects and lizards. These birds don't have teeth, and hence depend on gastroliths, i.e. the stones in stomach, for digestion. Astonishingly, a full-grown ostrich carries around 2 lbs of stones in its stomach to aid digestion. Mostly found in areas with water scarcity, this flightless bird has adapted well to its surroundings, and hence can carry on without water for extended periods of time.

Meat: Ostrich meat is considered to be a delicacy in many parts of the world. The bird is, in fact, farmed for its feathers as well as its meat. Ostrich meat is considered to be the healthiest red meat available, containing only 96.9 calories and 15g of fat content in each serving of 3 ounces.

Eggs: Ostrich lay the largest eggs among the living bird species. Earlier the Elephant bird, native to Madagascar, and the Giant Moa, native to New Zealand, used to lay the largest eggs, but both have become extinct. A communal nesting place of ostriches may include up to 60 eggs, each measuring approximately 6 inches in length and weighing around 3 lbs. The incubation period for these eggs is 40 days. Interestingly, weight wise, one ostrich egg equals to 24 chicken eggs!

Some Fun Facts

• Although a flightless bird, an ostrich is a very good runner. It can clock speeds up to 60 to 70 miles per hour, which makes it the fastest bird on land.
• Each of its eye is as big as a billiards ball. In fact, its brain is smaller than its eyeballs, both of which take up most of the room in its head.
• Ostrich uses its 6 feet wingspan to balance its body when it's running at high speeds.
• At birth, the ostrich chicks are already feathered and can walk without difficulty. By the time they are 18 months old they attain the size of their parents.

Today, ostriches are bred for commercial purposes, which range from use of its feathers for decorative purposes to inclusion of ostrich meat in various cuisines. If you want to know more about these fascinating birds, you should ideally opt for one of the various ostrich tours which are becoming popular by the day.