Fastest Running Bird : Ostrich

There are about more than 8,500 species of birds today. Out of all these the ostrich is the largest one. In certain wild parts of the world they can still be found. The ostriches have smoothly adapted to the desert life. They get the water in the deserts from the plants that they eat. Even though they are birds they cannot fly. But there is a special feature about them that they are the fastest runners. They weigh anywhere around 150 kg. And grow up to a height of 2-3 meters. Their necks are very long whereas their heads are flat and small. They have plump bodies and lots of feathers, which are soft, are on their body. The male ostrich’s body is black in color while the color of the wings and feathers are white. The females and their young ones are a mixture of gray and brown in color.

The nest of the ostrich is a simple scoop of cavity in the ground. When they are threatened the she ostrich presses her long neck in the ground and covers it with dust so that it looks like a part of earth. This is exactly opposite to the popular belief that they burry their head inside the earth or sand.  In a flock of ostriches on an average there is one male and about 4-6 females. The weight of each egg is a whopping 1.5 kg. Some people raise ostriches in their captivity so that they will eat its flesh later on. Some people were even foolish enough to try and ride an ostrich, which for your kind information is quite a risky business. The ostrich has taken birth for running. The very long and powerful legs it has can cover huge distances without putting in much effort. As they have only two toes on their feet they can run much faster.

The ostrich can reach up to a speed of 70 kilometers per hour from a bare scratch within seconds. Also its average speed is 50 kilometers per hour. A single stride of an ostrich is about 10-15 feet long.  Thus in times of great danger it can get away as easily as snapping its fingers (but it can not snap its fingers). The ostrich can also defend itself when it is not possible to run away. The claws on their feet are so powerful that they can be used to kill even a lion. They balance their body when they run at great speed by using their wings. They also use their wings for turning their direction. Their tail is used as a display and to show their courtship. The ostriches show off by holding their heads high and lifting their wings.  This courtship is also done to find a mate. The feathers of ostrich are used to prevent them from getting wet in the rain. The ostriches like to live in large groups. Also with their very long necks and great vision the ostriches can see far off places easily.