ostrich

—ostrichlike, adj.

/aw"strich, os"trich/, n.

1. a large, two-toed, swift-footed flightless bird, Struthio camelus, indigenous to Africa and Arabia, domesticated for its plumage: the largest of living birds.

2. (not used scientifically) a rhea.

3. a person who attempts to ignore unpleasant facts or situations.

[1175-1225; ME ostrice, ostriche < OF ostrusce (cf. F autruche) < VL *avistruthius, for L avis bird + LL struthio < LGk strouthíon; see STRUTHIOUS]

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Two-toed, long-necked ratite (Struthio camelus, family Struthionidae) found in Africa, the largest living bird.

An adult male ostrich may be nearly 9 ft (2.75 m) tall and weigh more than 330 lb (150 kg). Males are black, with white wing and tail plumes; females are brown. Ostriches live in flocks of 5–50, usually among grazing animals, and eat plants and an occasional small animal. Roaring, hissing males fight for three to five hens, which lay 15–60 eggs in a communal nest scraped in the ground. The male sits at night; the females take turns by day. One-month-old chicks can run with adults, at 40 mph (65 km/hr). To escape detection, an ostrich may lie on the ground with its neck outstretched, a habit that may have given rise to the notion that ostriches bury their heads in the sand.

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▪ bird

 flightless bird found only in open country of Africa. The largest living bird, an adult male may be 2.75 metres (about 9 feet) tall—almost half of its height is neck—and weigh more than 150 kg (330 pounds); the female is somewhat smaller. The ostrich's egg, averaging about 150 mm (6 inches) in length by 125 mm (5 inches) in diameter and about 1.35 kg (3 pounds), is also the world's largest. The male is mostly black but has white plumes in the wings and tail; females are mostly brown. The head and most of the neck, reddish to bluish in colour, is lightly downed; the legs, including the powerful thighs, are bare. The head is small, the bill short and rather wide; the big brown eyes have thick black lashes.

      Ostriches are seen individually, in pairs, in small flocks, or in large aggregations, depending on the season. The ostrich relies on its strong legs—uniquely two-toed, with the main toe developed almost as a hoof—to escape its enemies, chiefly humans and the larger carnivores. A frightened ostrich can achieve a speed of 72.5 km (45 miles) per hour. If cornered, it can deliver dangerous kicks.

      Ostriches live mainly on vegetation but also take some animal food, mainly insects; they can go without water for long periods. Breeding males emit lionlike roars and hisses as they fight for a harem of three to five hens. A communal nest scraped in the ground contains more than a dozen shiny, whitish eggs. The major hen of the harem may get rid of some of the eggs to make incubation more manageable. The male sits on the eggs by night; the females take turns during the day. The chicks hatch in about 40 days and when a month old can keep up with running adults. To escape detection, chicks as well as adults may lie on the ground with neck outstretched, a habit that may have given rise to the mistaken belief that the ostrich buries its head in the sand when danger threatens. Ostrich plumes adorned the helmets of medieval European knights, and in the 19th century such plumes were sold for women's finery. This demand led to the establishment of ostrich farms in South Africa, the southern United States, Australia, and elsewhere, but the trade collapsed after World War I. Ostriches are now raised for their meat and hide, which provides a soft, fine-grained leather. The birds have been trained for saddle and sulky racing, but they tire easily and are not well suited for training. They do well in captivity and may live 50 years.

      The ostrich is typical of a group of flightless birds called ratites (ratite). Ostrich populations differing slightly in skin colour, size, and egg features formerly were considered separate species, but now they are considered to be merely races of S. camelus. Most familiar is the North African ostrich, S. camelus camelus, ranging, in much-reduced numbers, from Morocco to The Sudan. Ostriches also live in eastern and southern Africa. The Syrian ostrich (S. camelus syriacus) of Syria and Arabia became extinct in 1941. The ostrich is the only living species in the genus Struthio. Ostriches are the only members of the family Struthionidae in the order Struthioniformes—a group that also contains kiwis (kiwi), emus (emu), cassowaries (cassowary), and rheas (rhea). Fossil struthioniforms dating as far back as 12 million years have been found in southern Russia, India, and north-central China.

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