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The Ostrich (Struthio
camelus, Greek "sparrow camel") is the largest living
bird, reaching a height of up to 2.5 metres (8 feet). It has a
long neck and legs, is flightless, and is capable of running at
about 65 km/h (40 mph). Living in the wild in Africa, it is farmed
all over the world. Physical description: Male ostriches weigh
up to 155 kg and are larger than females. The feathers of adult
males are mostly black, with some white at the wings and tail.
Females and young males are greyish-brown, with a bit of white.
The small vestigial wings are used by males in mating displays.
They can also provide shadow to the chicks. The feathers are soft
and quite different from the stiff airfoil feathers of flying
birds. They serve as insulation. There are claws on two of the
wings fingers.
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The strong legs
don't have feathers. The bird stands on two toes, with the bigger
one resembling a hoof. This is an adaption unique to ostriches
which appears to aid in fast running. The eyes of ostriches with
their thick black lashes are the biggest eyes of all living land
animals; only whales have bigger ones. Behavior: Ostriches live
in nomadic groups of 5–50 animals that often travel together
with other grazing animals such as zebras or antelopes. They mainly
feed on seeds and other plant matter; occasionally they also eat
animal matter such as locusts. Lacking teeth, they swallow pebbles
that help to grind the swallowed foods in the gizzard. They can
go without water for a long time, exclusively living off the moisture
in the ingested plants. However, they like water and frequently
take baths.
Images: 001-003.jpg
courtesy Us Fish and Wildlife Service
004-009.jpg courtesy Schmode.net
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