The world’s largest birds

1 Birds that cannot fly

Ostriches can run fast, but they can’t fly

Image: pioabay.com

An old African legend tells that ostriches once had strong wings that let them fly faster and higher than all the other birds in the world. But one day, one of them is said to have flown so high that it came close to God’s eye without acknowledging God as the creator of the world. Then an angel drew back the veil in front of the sun, and its hot rays scorched the bird’s wings, causing it to tumble miserably to the ground. Since then, no ostrich has been able to take to the skies. We do not know how this legend came about. What is true is that ostriches are birds, but they cannot fly. Their short wings are unable to lift their heavy bodies into the air.

Find out:

1. What makes ostriches different from other birds?

2 Ostriches are flightless birds

The bouquet is too heavy to fly

Emus live in Australia and are also flightless birds.

But ostriches can run, and very fast, too. That’s why we call them flightless running birds. Besides the Common Ostrich and the Somali ostrich, both of which live in Africa, this group includes emus in Australia and cassowaries in northern Australia and New Guinea. Rheas in South America are flightless, too. They need open terrain to run, so in Africa ostriches prefer the vast grasslands of the savanna. They mainly eat seeds, grasses, leaves, flowers and fruit. Insects and caterpillars are just a supplement. They prefer to peck their food from the ground. Ostriches can go a long time without water, relying instead on the moisture in their plant food.

Find out:

2. What do you call birds that cannot fly?

3. Which birds belong to this group besides ostriches?

4. What do ostriches eat?

3 A small head and long legs

A male ostrich has black plumage

Female ostriches are slightly smaller and have earth-brown plumage.

Ostriches have small heads and large eyes

Ostriches can deliver dangerous kicks with their feet

Male ostriches have black plumage, while their flight feathers and tail are usually dirty white. Male common ostriches can weigh up to 135 kilograms and grow up to 2.5 metres tall. Somali ostrich males can weigh over 150 kilograms and reach a height of 2.75 metres. Female ostriches have earth-brown plumage, with slightly lighter wings and tails. They weigh around 110 kilograms and can grow up to 1.9 metres tall. Ostriches hold their long, mostly bare necks upright. Their heads are quite small, but their eyes are 5 centimetres in diameter, making them larger than those of most other animals. Their necks and legs are grey, grey-blue or pink. Ostriches have long legs that allow them to run very fast. For short periods, they can reach speeds of about 70 km/h. In half an hour, they can cover a distance of 20 to 25 kilometres. Their feet have two toes. Ostriches can deliver powerful kicks that can be fatal to people and even lions.

Find out:

5. How tall and heavy can ostriches get?

6. How can you tell male and female ostriches apart?

7. How fast can ostriches run?

8. What can ostriches even use to defend themselves against lions?

4 Ostrich eggs

Ostrich eggs weigh almost two kilograms

An ostrich egg has a very hard shell

In the wild, ostriches usually live together in groups. During the breeding season, they form small flocks, each consisting of one male and several females.
Female ostriches lay eggs. These are white, weigh up to 1,900 grams and are about 15 centimetres in diameter. One ostrich egg is equivalent to about 20 to 30 chicken eggs. The shell is 2 to 3 millimetres thick and hard. An adult can stand on it without any problem.
Each female in a flock lays 2 to 12 eggs in a nest, which is a simple hollow in the ground. The dominant female incubates the clutch with the male. However, she removes most of the subordinate females’ eggs first. This leaves only about 20 eggs in the nest to be incubated.
The chicks hatch after an incubation period of 6 weeks. Their feathers are initially fawn-coloured with dark spots. After just 3 days, they leave the nest and follow their parents.

Find out:

9. Who belongs to an ostrich flock?

10. How big and how heavy are ostrich eggs?

11. How long is the ostrich breeding season?

5 Ostrich as livestock

Ostriches are raised on farms for their meat, feathers and skin

Ostrich racing on a farm in South Africa

Ostriches are also kept as farm animals today. In the eighteenth century, ostrich feathers became fashionable in Europe as hat decorations for wealthy women. This led to increased hunting of the birds. In some areas, ostriches were wiped out.
In the nineteenth century, people began keeping ostriches on farms. Today, there are ostrich farms even in Europe, although these large birds do not cope well with cold, and especially with damp conditions. Ostriches are farmed mainly for their meat and their skin, which is made into leather. Hens on farms lay many more eggs, which are hatched using incubators. Ostriches can carry the weight of a person. In South Africa, races are held for tourists at some ostrich farms. In the past, ostriches were even harnessed to small carriages.

Find out:

12. Why are ostriches kept on farms?

Images: Hamsterkiste (10), pixabay.com (1), Familie Vosseberg (1)