There are many species of birds in the world. Some of them amaze the mind with their beauty and uniqueness, others - with their miniature size. There are also such individuals that do not quite look like birds. They are terrestrial, however, they reach the largest sizes. We are talking about the African ostrich.
The largest living bird is the African ostrich. He is of a solid build with a flat head and a long neck. It has a straight, flat beak. Also, this bird has the largest eyes of all land animals - their diameter reaches five centimeters.
This bird has underdeveloped pectoral muscles and wings are not developed at all. Therefore, the ostrich is a bird that cannot fly. But she knows how to run perfectly, developing a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour.
The head, neck, thighs and "pectoral corns" are free of plumage, which is curly and loose in the ostrich. Most often, males have mostly black plumage, but a light tail and wings. Females of the ostrich are smaller in size and are characterized by a more uniform color (usually a gray-brown basic tone and dirty white wings).
Ostriches inhabit dry, treeless areas in Africa or the Middle East. They can be found in the savannah or semi-desert, in the north or south of the equatorial forest zone. Previously, the African ostrich was actively hunted, which is why there are not many places left where ostriches live in the wild. The bird population is rescued by numerous ostrich farms around the world.
Ostriches are, for the most part, herbivorous. They feed on shoots, flowers, fruits and seeds. But also these birds will not give up small insects, reptiles and rodents. Due to the lack of teeth, the ostrich swallows pieces of wood, tiny stones, pieces of iron in order to grind food in the stomach.
