Ostrich Facts for Kids

Struthio camelus · STROO-thee-oh KAM-el-us

The biggest bird alive: it cannot fly, but it runs very fast.

🏃 43 mph69 km/h1
⚖️ 198 to 300 lb90 to 136 kg1
📏 8.9 ft2.7 m1 tall
🎂 30 to 40 years30 to 40 years1
🍽️ plants and animals
Doing fine (Least Concern)

The ostrich is the biggest bird in the world. It cannot fly, but it can run very fast. Each foot has just two toes.

An ostrich is too big and heavy to fly, so it runs instead. Its long legs carry it across open land, and its big eyes spot trouble from far away. A male has black and white feathers, while a female is soft gray-brown.

Ostriches are the largest birds alive, and their eggs are the largest eggs of any bird. Each foot has only two toes, a bit like a hoof, which suits running. An ostrich swallows small stones that stay in its stomach and help grind up tough plants. It does not really bury its head in the sand; that is just an old myth.

How big is a ostrich?

🧒 our measuring child, 4 ft1.2 m🐦 Ostrich, 9 ft2.7 m tall

Ostrich in numbers

Length	no checked number yet
Height	8.9 ft2.7 m1including the neck; females tend to be shorter than males
Weight	198 to 300 lb90 to 136 kg1adults
Top speed (running)	43 mph69 km/h1running
How long it lives	30 to 40 years30 to 40 years1in the wild
What it eats	seeds, grass, leaves, flowers and insects
Where it lives	the savannas and dry plains of Africa
What kind	Birds
Is it in danger?	Doing fine (Least Concern)2

A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.

Wow!

An ostrich egg is the biggest egg of any bird.
It swallows small stones to help grind its food.
It does not really hide its head in the sand.

Compare the ostrich

Friends and neighbours

Three questions

What does the ostrich eat?

Plants and animalsFishTiny sea life

The answer: Plants and animals. It eats seeds, grass, leaves, flowers and insects.

Where does the ostrich live?

FarmSavannaForest

The answer: Savanna. It lives in the savannas and dry plains of Africa.

What kind of animal is the ostrich?

No backboneAmphibianBird

The answer: Bird. It's a bird: feathers, wings and eggs.

Books about the ostrich, free at the library

Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the ostrich for free.

Where these numbers come from

Smithsonian's National Zoo, Ostrich, checked 30 October 2026.
Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
Wikidata, Ostrich (Q17592), checked 30 October 2026.