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up-close shot of ostrich outside
All Animals

Ostrich

Ostriches rise to the top of many charts: they are the largest and the heaviest birds in the world. They also have the biggest eyes relative to body size of any land animal – they are about two inches in diameter! Their enormous eggs have no equal; they weigh as much as two dozen chicken eggs.

Stable
Threatened
Endangered

Animal Facts

Scientific Name

Struthio camelus

Range

Open, semi-arid plains and open woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa

Location in the Zoo

African Forest

Cool Animal Fact

They will sometimes lie on the ground with their necks outstretched to avoid detection by a predator, but they do not “bury their heads in the sand” – it’s a myth.