Ostriches (scientific name: Struthio camelus) are the largest living birds. They have long legs and necks and soft, large feathers. They live in Africa, in woodlands, grasslands, and scrubland ecosystems. Ostriches are omnivores, but they mostly eat plant parts like leaves, roots, seeds, and flowers. They sometimes eat insects and small reptiles.
Fun facts about ostriches
Ostrich egg (center) compared with a chicken egg (left) and an egg of the extinct elephant bird (right). Image by Rhett Ayers Butler/Mongabay.
Largest egg
It may be no surprise that ostriches — the largest living birds — lay the largest eggs in the world today.
Not that long ago, the now extinct elephant bird of Madagascar laid an egg that was even more massive!
Image by Marie Delport, via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC).
Largest eyes too
Ostriches also have the largest eyes of any land animal. They have big, beautiful eyelashes too. Did you know? At 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter, ostrich eyes are even larger than their brains!
Image by Rhett Ayers Butler/Mongabay.
Flightless, but fast
Ostriches can’t fly, but they are amazing runners! Ostriches reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour (43 miles per hour).
Two-toed talent
Unlike most birds, ostriches have two, not three, toes on each foot. This streamlined foot helps them run at high speeds.
A feather boa made with ostrich feathers. Image from MoMu — Fashion Museum Antwerp, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Fashionable feathers
Around one hundred years ago, ostrich feathers were very fashionable. People used them in feather boas and to decorate hats. They were also popular for making feather dusters.
Today, ostriches are farmed in some countries, such as South Africa. These farms supply ostrich meat as well as feathers.
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