Where Does The Common Ostrich Live? The common ostrich is found in areas throughout Africa. Occasionally specimens that are even larger are found.įemales are smaller, growing to 6.2 ft. Watch the video below to see Common Ostriches in the wild: In fact each of the ostrich’s eyeballs is bigger than its brain! The ostrich has long eyelashes to protect its huge eyes, which are larger than those of any other bird. The inner toe has a large, hoof-like claw. This may be an adaptation to allow it to run faster. Ostriches have two toes, unlike most other birds, which have four. The lower leg is covered in scales – a reminder of the bird’s dinosaur ancestry.Īn ostrich’s legs are extremely strong, enabling the animal to run at high speeds (we’ll find out just how fast further down the page) and also to deliver a powerful defensive kick. The skin varies in color from pale grey to reddish-pink. The ostrich’s neck is covered in small, downy feathers, and its legs are largely bare. Because of this an ostrich’s feathers are fluffy and loose. Ostrich feathers lack the tiny hooks that hold the feathers of other birds together. There is a difference in color and size between male and female ostriches. Female and young ostriches are grey-brown in color. The common and Somali ostriches are the only large flightless birds found in Africa.Īdult male ostriches are black with white wing and tail feathers. The ostrich is easily recognizable by its large size, long legs, long neck and small head. (Subspecies are members of the same species, but usually have slight physical differences and are found in different areas.) How To Recognize A Common Ostrich On this page, when we talk about an ‘ostrich’, we’ll be referring to the common ostrich rather than the (very similar) Somali ostrich. In 2014, the Somali ostrich, previously considered to be a subspecies of common ostrich, was recognized as being a separate species. The other ratites that are alive today are rheas, cassowaries, emus and kiwis (kiwis are much smaller than the other ratites). The common ostrich is a member of a group of (mainly) large, flightless birds called ratites. It is a record breaker in many ways not only is it the biggest, tallest and heaviest bird, it’s also the fastest bird on land, the fastest two-legged animal, and it lays the largest eggs of any animal. The common ostrich is a large, flightless bird that lives in Africa. ![]() Watch how fast it can run in the video below: ![]() The ostrich is the fastest bird in the world … on land. Other interesting common ostrich facts: The world’s largest and heaviest bird.Where Found: Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.Visit today! Click the image to see more animals in the Active Wild Online Zoo Common Ostrich Facts At A Glance This animal is part of the Active Wild Online Zoo, a virtual zoo that features animal information, pictures and videos. This page contains common ostrich facts for kids and students.
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