Ostrich Facts

• Ostriches are birds.


• Ostriches are in a class of birds called ratites. Ratites are birds that cannot fly. Flying birds have hallow bones, but ostriches and other ratites have solid heavy bones.


• Ostriches are born from an egg. In fact, ostriches have the largest eggs in the world! Ostrich eggs are 8 inches (20 cm) long and weight between 3 to 5 pounds (1.3 to 2.2 kg) each.


• A baby ostrich is called a chick.


• Ostriches are found naturally in the grassy plains of Africa. Ostriches can now be seen in zoos all over the world and on some farms and ranches.


• Ostriches are herbivores. They eat mostly grass and plants, but will also eat some insects and some small animals.


• An ostrich has features like other birds. Ostrich feathers are prized because of the their large size. Ostrich feathers are used on clothing, hats and to decorate many things.


• Ostriches can grow to over 9 feet tall (almost 3 meters).


• Male ostriches typically grow taller than female ostriches.


• A large male ostrich will weigh about 250 pounds (110 kg)



The ostrich is a large bird, but can run over 40 miles per hour.

• Ostriches run faster than people. They can run over 40 miles per hour (65 kilometers per hour) for short distances, and run about 30 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour) for longer distances.