The Largest Bird On Earth

The ostrich is the largest bird on Earth

Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrate animals. Their bodies are covered with feathers that help them fly and protect them from external factors. In addition, they reproduce through eggs and have a beak that replaces teeth. It must be known that there are approximately 10,000 different species of birds. Around the world, which differ in many ways such as shapes and sizes; There are small birds and huge ones, and there are short and long birds. In addition, some birds can fly long distances, while others, on the other hand, do not have the ability to fly.

As for the largest, largest, and longest bird on Earth, it is the Ostrich (scientific name: Struthio camelus ), which reaches a length of approximately 2.75 meters and weighs more than 150 kg in an adult male, while its female is considered smaller in size. With a little mention, the ostrich’s neck constitutes approximately half of its length. It is also characterized by its small head and short and wide beak. It is worth noting that the ostrich’s egg is considered the largest in size compared to the eggs of other birds, as its average length is approximately 150 mm and its diameter is 125 mm. It weighs approximately 1.35 kg.

Characteristics of the ostrich bird

In addition to the characteristics mentioned above, there are many characteristics that distinguish the ostrich from other birds, the most important of which are the following:

Places to live

Ostriches are found in central and southern Africa, where the dry and sandy areas are. However, until the middle of the twentieth century, they existed naturally in southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa, but they were hunted extensively until this led to their extinction and disappearance from there, and their presence was limited to desert areas. major parts of the African continent.

Eyes and appearance

The male ostrich is slightly larger in size compared to its female, in addition to the male’s plumage being black and white, while the female’s is brown and grey.

The eyeballs of ostriches, which are usually brown in color, are approximately 5.08 cm wide and surrounded by long black eyelashes, making the ostrich have the largest eyes compared to other land animals.

Behavior and self-defense

Ostriches live in herds of 5 to 50 individuals, and these herds are usually found in the company of grazing animals such as antelope and zebra. The herds occupy an area of 2 to 15 square kilometers during the breeding season, which lasts about 5 months, while they form smaller groups of 2- 5 individuals during times outside the breeding seasons. In addition, ostriches are famous for their love of being close to water and for bathing frequently whenever they can.

Ostrich birds have strong legs that help them defend against their natural enemies. They can also achieve speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour, and when cornered they can deliver strong blows with their legs.

Food

Ostriches are herbivorous animals that live mostly on plants, but they may sometimes eat animal remains left by carnivorous predators, and they are known to be selective in food. As they eat grass seeds, some flowers and seeds, and sometimes they eat locusts, and ostriches in cages need 3.5 kg of food per day, and they can survive without water for long periods of time.

Duration of life

Ostriches live their lives for approximately 50 years, whether inside cages or outside in the wild.

Reproduction

Ostrich birds are known to be bisexual groups with a complex structure. In some areas, they use collective nests to contain between 15 and 60 eggs. The nest is a hole dug in barren land. It takes about 40 days for the eggs to hatch, and the care of the eggs is divided between males and females. The males take over the task of monitoring them during the night, while the females take turns monitoring them during the day.

the speed

Because ostriches are very heavy, they do not have the ability to fly, but instead they have the ability to run very quickly, as their strong legs can cover a distance of about 5 meters (16 feet) with just one step, which made them classified as the fastest animals that run on two legs. In the world, the importance of this lies in giving it the ability to escape from carnivorous predators, and it can escape from most situations by using its flightless wings to maintain its balance and change direction while moving and running very quickly