ETYM Old Eng. ostriche, ostrice, Old Fren. ostruche, ostruce, French autruche, Latin avis struthio; avis bird + struthio ostrich, from Greek, bird, sparrow. Related to Aviary, Struthious.
(Irregular plural: ostriches).
Fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet; largest living bird; SYN. Struthio camelus.
Large flightless bird Struthio camelus, found in Africa. The male may be about 2.5 m/8 ft tall and weigh 135 kg/300 lb, and is the largest living bird. It has exceptionally strong legs and feet (two-toed) that enable it to run at high speed, and are also used in defense. It lives in family groups of one cock with several hens, each of which incubates about 14 eggs.
Ostriches are bred in South Africa and elsewhere for leather and also for their tail feathers. + prikaži više