Amazing birds ostriches are not like other birds. Preferring to run rather than fly, they are not distinguished by intelligence, which does not prevent them from being perfectly adapted for survival. However, they only seem so funny, but in fact, an angry ostrich is not the enemy that one would like to meet on a narrow path.
Interesting facts about ostriches
- Among all the birds on Earth, they are the largest.
- Several tens of thousands of years ago, there were even larger species, and carnivores, but they died out long ago – they were exterminated by primitive people (interesting facts about birds).
- The scientific name of the ostrich is translated from Greek as “camel sparrow”.
- Among the creatures now living on our planet, ostriches have no biological relatives.
- While running, they move in huge jumps, overcoming 3-5 meters in one such jump.
- The weight of an adult ostrich can exceed 150 kg.
- Emu birds, which are second only to ostriches in size, were also previously classified as ostrich-like birds, but have long since been identified as a separate species. So an emu is not an ostrich.
- The growth of an ostrich exceeds 2,5 meters.
- Ostriches do not hide their heads in the sand, if they are frightened, they run away. And if they are driven into a corner, they begin to defend themselves with kicks. One such well-aimed blow can kill a person.
- They also run fast, while differing in endurance. An ostrich can maintain a running speed of 50 km/h for a long time.
- On the chest they have a spot without feathers – this is the place on which the ostrich leans when it lies down on the ground.
- The maximum speed that ostriches can develop is about 95 km/h. At the same time, they can turn on the run without even slowing down.
- They feed on vegetation, small animals, and insects.
- Eyelashes in ostriches are thicker than those of humans. Sometimes they absorb pebbles and even sand – this helps to better digest food, since stones, once in the stomach, simply grind it.
- The life span of an ostrich can reach 75-80 years.
- One ostrich egg weighs more than a kilogram.
- Birds don’t get wet when it rains, but ostriches don’t have a gland that produces oil to coat their feathers, so they get wet easily.
- They can go without water for a long time, as they have enough moisture from food. But ostriches drink on occasion willingly, and they also like to swim.
- To get rid of skin parasites, these birds roll in dry dust. Defending their territory, ostriches attack both people and even lions. By the way, the lion, the king of animals, usually does not risk getting involved with an ostrich, which can easily cripple or even kill him (interesting facts about lions).
- Young ostriches do not eat vegetation – only meat and insects.
- They prefer to live in families consisting of a female, male and chicks.
- Vultures, who love to eat ostrich eggs, throw stones at them from a height, since they cannot break a strong shell half a centimeter thick with their beak.
- Of all birds, only ostriches have two toes on their feet.
- Some tribes in Africa still use the shells of their eggs as water vessels.
- Ostrich feathers on helmets are found on most Polish coats of arms (interesting facts about Poland).
- You can ride ostriches if you wish, but only on males, because they are larger and stronger.
- Ostriches are bred in more than 50 countries of the world, including cold ones. There are ostrich farms even in Russia and Sweden (interesting facts about Sweden).
- Attracting a female, the male ostrich emits a trumpet roar of deafening volume.
- Due to the strength of the shell, it takes up to an hour for a newborn chick to get out. Not everyone manages.
- The diameter of an ostrich’s eye (5 centimeters) is larger than the diameter of the brain of this bird.
- The weight of a newborn ostrich cub reaches 1,1-1,2 kilograms.
- Sometimes, if two groups of chicks from different birds mix, the parent ostriches fight each other for custody of them. The winners get all the offspring.
- In one of the caves of Altai, abandoned by primitive people 40-50 thousand years ago, archaeologists discovered jewelry made from ostrich egg shells.
- African ostrich chicks are usually born with a hematoma on the back of their head, because they force their way out of the egg with it. The hematoma, however, is not dangerous, and they pass quickly.
- After the chicks hatch, the female ostrich breaks the spoiled eggs to attract flies, which will feed on the more fortunate chicks.
- The female ostrich incubates the eggs during the day and is replaced by the male at night.