Did you know? * The Ostrich is the largest living bird in the world. * It is of the Ratite family, which means flightless bird. * The Ostrich is native to Africa, yet thrives in countries all over the world. * Adult males are eight to ten feet in height and weigh 350-400 pounds. * A male Ostrich is called a rooster and a female Ostrich is called a hen. * The male is black with white wing tips and tail plumes. * The female has light brown and grey plumage and is slightly smaller than the male. * This great bird has two toes, all other birds have three or four toes. * The Ostrich can run at speeds of up to 40 MPH for sustained times. * An Ostrich will live to be 50 - 75 years old. * Although an ostrich egg is the largest of all eggs, it is the smallest egg in relation to the size of the bird. * The Ostrich egg will weigh 1600 gm and is equivalent to 2 dozen chicken eggs. * An Ostrich Hen can lay 40 -100 eggs per year, averaging about 60 eggs per year. * Ostrich eggs hatch in 42 days. * An Ostrich chick grows one foot taller each month until it is 7-8 months old. * Females sit on eggs by day; males sit on eggs by night. * To soft boil a fresh egg would take one hour. To hard boil would take 1 1/2 hours. * Ostrich farming is a viable alternative agriculture industry, with fine quality leather, feathers and gourmet meat as the principal products.
EMU
Introducing the Emu
Emu (pronounced either e-mew or e-moo depending on where you're from) are a large flightless bird native to Australia. These birds, known for their curious nature, have been around since the time of the dinosaurs.
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are a member of the ratite, which means flightless bird, family. Other ratites include the ostrich, moa, rhea, cassowary, and kiwi, as well as the extinct aepyornis (click to read more about this bird). Emu are the largest bird on the Australian continent