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O s t r i c h

The ostrich is too big to fly. It has adapted to high-speed running. It is the fastest creature on two legs. It can run up to 44 mph and easily outrun most enemies. The ostrich has powerful legs, flexible knees and two-toed feet. The ostrich has lost its strong wing feathers, but the male has soft, curling plumes. The plumes are often used on fashionable hats and boas. Female birds are slightly smaller than males and have brownish feathers and off-white wings. Young ostriches are grayish-brown. Ostriches eat mostly plants but sometimes feed on small reptiles. Ostriches wander around in small groups in search of food. One female scrapes a shallow pit in the ground in which to lay her eggs. The eggs are the biggest laid by any bird -- about the size of 40 hen's eggs! The male bird sits on the eggs at night and helps take care of the young.