All About Ostriches for Children: Ostrich Video for Kids - FreeSchool
4 Video Views·Feb 9, 2025
Ostriches are the largest, tallest, and heaviest birds on Earth. They are famous partly because they cannot fly - but they are also the fastest runners of all birds! Ostriches also lay the largest eggs of any bird and are sometimes farmed for their meat, eggs, feathers, and leather.
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The largest living species of bird in the world, the ostrich is native to Africa.
Both the tallest and the heaviest living bird, the ostrich is famously unable to fly,
but it is the fastest runner of all birds.
Easily recognized by their long, skinny legs, long necks, and oval bodies,
ostriches can reach weights of up to 320 pounds or 145 kilograms,
and a maximum height of 9 feet or 2.8 meters.
In the wild, these huge birds may live as long as 40 years,
but captive ostriches have been known to live to the age of 70.
Ostriches live in groups of between 5 and 50 birds,
and will travel around open grassy savanna or semi-desert areas,
moving wherever food and water can be found.
Male ostriches have fluffy black feathers with white plumes on the wings and tail,
while the females are a grayish-brown instead.
Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal.
Their eyes are so large that a single ostrich eye is actually bigger than their brain!
The powerful legs of an ostrich do not have any feathers on them,
and they have only two toes on each foot.
With these legs, ostriches can reach speeds of up to 40 miles or 70 kilometers per hour.
They will usually only run at top speed to escape from predators,
although if cornered they can kick with deadly force.
Contrary to myth, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand,
but they have been known to lay down on the ground to hide from predators.
Ostriches nest on the ground, laying their eggs in shallow pits scratched in the dirt.
Both male and female ostriches take turns incubating the eggs.
Typically, the females will warm the eggs during the day due to their grayish-brown camouflage,
while males will take their turn at night when their black feathers offer greater concealment.
You will probably not be surprised to hear that ostriches also lay the largest eggs in the world.
Their eggs weigh about 3 pounds, or 1.3 kilograms,
each one equivalent to about two dozen chicken eggs.
Although they grow to be so tall, baby ostriches are only about 10 inches or 25 centimeters in height at hatching
and weigh just 2 pounds. That's less than 1 kilogram!
Unlike adults, ostrich chicks are covered in downy, light brown feathers speckled with darker brown spots
to give them better camouflage so close to the ground.
Ostriches are mainly herbivores, eating seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit, and flowers,
but on occasion they will eat insects and small lizards.
Because they do not have teeth, they will swallow pebbles to help grind up their food after they have eaten it.
Humans have found many uses for ostriches over the years.
Their meat, eggs, feathers, and leather have been valued by people for centuries.
In modern times, ostriches are often farmed to provide these resources without endangering the wild population.
Ostriches are also popular attractions in zoos, and some people will even ride on or race ostriches!
Although ostrich populations have declined over the last few centuries, they are not considered endangered,
meaning these gigantic birds should be around for everyone to enjoy for years to come.
I hope you enjoyed learning about ostriches today.
Goodbye till next time!
Thanks for watching!