Is an ostrich a bird?

Ostrich belongs to Ostrich family and is the largest bird in the world. Adult birds can reach 2.5m in height, and male ostriches can reach 150kg. An ostrich has a small head supported on a slender neck like a snake, and a short flat triangular mouth composed of several horny sheaths. Its main feature is that its keel is underdeveloped and it can't fly. It is also the only two-toed bird in the world.

Ostrich lives in desert steppe and savanna in Africa, and is widely domesticated by many countries because of its high economic value, fast growth, strong reproduction, easy feeding and strong disease resistance.

Living habits of ostriches

Ostrich can adapt to the arid climate and have abnormal heat resistance because of its developed air bag and good circulatory system to regulate body temperature. Even if the temperature is as high as 56℃, it can still look for food in the hot summer sun, or it can not drink water for months. The most frequent activities are still in the early morning and dusk.

The ostrich runs very fast in the desert. The distance of each step is 3.5 meters, the continuous running speed is 50 kilometers per hour, the running speed is more than 5 minutes, and the sprint speed is more than 70 kilometers per hour. It can cross obstacles more than 5 meters high.

Ostriches eat a variety of foods, but mainly stems, leaves and fruits of plants, especially flowering shrubs, parasitic creeping plants, cucurbitaceae plants and wild figs. They also eat insects, mollusks, small reptiles, birds and mammals, and eat some sand grains to help digestion.