Zoo Animals In The Wild: Ostriches (1981)

[Laughter] Ostriches. Ostriches are the tallest, heaviest birds there are. They're 7 or 8t tall, more than 2 m. They can't fly even though they have wings, and so they walk or run. They can run as fast as horses can. [Music] Ostriches can go without drinking for a long time. Where they come from, the dry, sandy parts of Africa, there isn't much water. Even though they can't fly, they're very safe, even from lions. Their feet are good kicking weapons, and they can slash with their sharp talons. Ostriches are the only birds with just two toes on each foot. Ostriches eat mostly plants, but they also eat lizards and frogs and just about anything else they can find. The ostrich also swallows bits of broken rock. Rocks help the ostrich grind up its food in a special stomach that's called a gizzard. The ostrich, like other birds, doesn't have any teeth. [Music] Ostriches can see and hear very well. In fact, other animals like zebras and news seem to depend on the ostrich to warn them of danger. Ostriches have fluffy feathers called plumes. The male's plumes are black and white. They're a lot more colorful than the female's brown or gray feathers. [Music] A male has a special dance that will attract a female mate. The female ostrich lays her eggs in a nest. Ostrich eggs are the biggest bird's eggs there are. They weigh about 3 lb, more than a kilogram. An ostrich egg is about 20 times as heavy as a chicken egg. The male and female ostrich take turns sitting on the eggs. The female sits on the eggs in the daytime and the male sits on the eggs at night. Ostrich chicks are covered with prickly down. It'll be a while before they grow soft feathers like their parents have. [Music] The chicks stay close to their parents. Both mother and father take care of chicks and eggs. [Music] In a few months, the ostrich family will join the rest of the flock. [Music] Now the sun is setting. The world's largest birds will soon go to sleep and rest until morning comes on the hot African plane. Ostriches [Applause] [Music] [Music]