Ostrich

Have you ever heard of ostriches? They are very interesting and big birds, the biggest on our planet! Except that the biggest bird in the world can't fly. They live in Africa, where there is lots of sunshine and dry fields called savannahs.

Ostriches are amazing birds! They are taller than any of us and can be taller even than our room! They weigh more than a bicycle and their head is small and flat. Their eyes are huge and beautiful like a doll's and they have long eyelashes. But the most amazing thing is their legs! Ostriches run very fast - faster than a car in the city. And do you know why? They have very long and strong legs, just like a runner's. And when they run, their little wings help them keep their balance so they don't fall.

Ostriches are very friendly birds and love to be with other animals. They often run with zebras and antelopes. They are so tall that they can see far away and are the first to spot danger, so they are like guard dogs for their animal friends.

Do you know what ostriches eat?

They like to eat leaves, flowers and fruit, but sometimes they also eat insects and even rodents! Ostriches can also swallow sand and rocks to help their stomachs digest whatever they eat.

When a papa ostrich is ready to become a father, his neck turns pink or blue, like he's wearing a very brightly coloured shirt. He starts to show the other daddy ostriches how strong and brave he is to protect his family. The mama ostriches lay their huge eggs in the burrow that the papa ostrich has dug. These eggs are bigger than chicken eggs, they can be as big as 30 chicken eggs put together! Papa Ostrich and Mama Ostrich take care of these eggs, sitting on them and keeping them warm day and night so that the little ostrich babies can hatch.

When the ostrich babies are born, they can already see and are covered with soft down. The next day they can already run and look for food, but they still need help from mum and dad. Their parents teach them everything and protect them from cold, rain and danger.

So these are such interesting and funny birds - ostriches. They can't fly, but they run very fast and they have a friendly character. They help their friends and are always willing to share their food. We could learn a lot from ostriches!