Ostriches are the largest flightless bird
living today, and also happen to lay the largest eggs of any
living bird in existence today. In fact, the Guinness World
Record for the largest egg laid by a bird was achieved during
2008 on a farm in Sweden – the egg weighed 5 pounds and 11.36
ounces. A typical ostrich egg is equivalent to about two dozen
chicken eggs.
The shells of ostrich eggs are so thick that most people
recommend getting into them by boring in with an electric drill.
They usually take about two hours to cook, due to the thickness
of the shell.
Ostriches sleep standing up. Ostriches are the fastest
two-legged creature in the world. An ostrich when pushed or in
danger can achieve speeds of up to 43 miles per hour, and can
steadily keep up a pace of about 30 miles per hour for 10 miles
at a time without needing to slow down or rest.
Ostriches are found
naturally in Africa, but many are also found in southern
Australia and some are farmed in the US.
Ostriches do not stick their head in sand
when startled or threatened. They dig shallow holes in the
dirt to use as nests for their eggs. Several times a day, a
bird puts her head down and turns the eggs. It just looks like
she is burying her head in the sand.