Birds - Ostrich - إختبرني

BIRDS - OSTRICH

Updated in: Thu Al ĥijja 1440 / August 2019

Available in the Arabic language as well, click here.

CLASSIFICATION	Birds
WEIGHT	Male 150 kg, female is a little smaller
NUMBER OF TEETH	0
FEMALE GESTATION PERIOD	Around 40 days
LIFE SPAN	Around 50 years in captivity
DIET	Plants

Fact 1: Ostriches are the largest birds on Earth. They live in Africa. The male ostrich is about 2.75 meters long. Its neck is about half its height. Its weight is about 150 kilograms. The female is a little smaller.

Fact 2: Ostrich's egg is the largest egg among all types of eggs. Its diameter is about 15 centimeters, and it weighs around 1.5 kilograms.

Fact 3: Ostriches can be seen either together in groups, or they can be alone. This depends on the season.

Fact 4: Ostriches have 2 legs; and 2 toes in each foot. They can run at a speed of 27.5 kilometers/hour when sensing danger. The South American ostrich, which is not a real ostrich, has 3 toes in each foot.

Fact 5: Ostriches can eat plants, as well as lizards if found. They also eat sand and graville for easier digestion. They also drink water if available, and can stay without water for a long period of time.

Fact 6: One of the ways to tell the male ostrich from the female is their feathers. The male ostriche mostly has black feathers with a little bit of white feathers on its wings and tail. The female has brown feathers, wings, and tail.

Fact 7: Ostriches can't fly, but they are known for their speed while running.

Fact 8: A male ostrich will fight other males in order to mate with 3 - 5 females. The male will dig a nest on the ground. Females will then put more than 12 eggs in it. The main female can get rid of some of the eggs in order to make their incubation easier. The Male take care of the eggs at night, while females take turns during daytime to take care of them.

Fact 9: Ostriches' eggs hatche after 40 days. The chicks will be able to keep up with their parents after about a month from hatching.

Fact 10: People may think that ostriches bury their heads in the sand if they sense danger, which is not true. Chicks and adults would lay their heads on the ground with their neck being extended.

Fact 11: Ostriches can live up to 50 years if kept in captivity.

Fact 12: The Arabs used to capture ostriches for sports, while Africans captured them for their eggs as their nutrition, as well as benefitting from their feathers. Ostriches are rarely captured for their meat, because it is hard and has a bad taste.

Fact 13: An ostriche's skin is considered as one of the best types of skins in the world.

Sources:
www.factmonster.com
www.alencyclopedia.net
www.britannica.com
www.almaany.com
doc.aljazeera.net

Other Topics:

Top Ten Waterfalls
Health Tips
The Holy Qur'an Facts