An Ostrich; The largest bird I bet many of us have heard of the Ostrich though not in details. An Ostrich is a native of Africa. What makes it different from others is the fact that it does not fly. It is unique in its appearance because it has a very long neck and legs. An Ostrich can grow to the height of about 2.3 metres. The long legs of an Ostrich make it able to run so fast at speeds of about 74 kilometres per hour! Next to the cheetah, ostriches are the second fastest animals in the world. Females are called hens, males are roosters while baby Ostriches have no name! Apart from being the largest bird, it lays the largest eggs in the world. Can you imagine that a single Ostrich egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs? These big birds, mainly feed on plants though it eats insects sometimes. It can also survive without water for a very long time. Ostriches live in nomadic groups of about 5 to 50 birds. In the wild, Ostriches also enjoy living in the company of zebras and antelopes. When threatened, an Ostrich hides by lying flat against the ground or it will run away so fast. For self defence, Ostriches use their powerful legs to kick any enemy. So many Ostriches are poached around the world because they have beautiful feathers. These are used for decoration and for making feather dusters. Its skin is used as leather while its meat becomes a tasty meal. A lucky Ostrich usually lives up to 50 year of age in the wild. Ends
