Ostrich is one of the largest and heaviest birds on this planet weighing up to 350 pounds with 9 feet in height. Despite their size and wings, they are still flightless. They can only run and run faster than any other bird. Wings help birds fly, but wings allow them to run faster at a tremendous speed.
An average ostrich can run at 43 mph (75 km/h), and they can maintain the speed of around 38 mph for an hour or more, making them the fastest two-legged animal. With this speed, they can complete a marathon of 26 miles in just 35 to 40 minutes.
If you want to know more about ostriches’ running capability, read till the end because we will discuss how fast an ostrich can run and other factors that help them in the running.
Contents
Do Ostrich Love To Run?
The biggest downside ostriches have is that they can’t fly, but their strong legs allow them to run several miles without stopping, and their wings help them change their path. They have tremendous stamina, muscular legs, and a pointed body that enhance their speed. These birds can see their predators 2 miles away with their big eyes and can run away by making the predators bite the dust.
How Fast Can Different Ostrich Species Run?
There are several species of ostriches on earth, like North African Ostrich, Arabian Ostrich, Masai Ostrich, etc., but most of them are extinct or endangered; the most common ostrich specie, South African Ostrich, make up to 90% of the total population of ostrich on the earth. But Somali Ostriches are the fastest and can reach the speed of 70 km/h.
How Does Ostrich Run So Fast?
Ostriches are built for running at an incredible speed to escape predators and go where they want. Behind, several features make the ostrich the fastest bird. Let’s discuss those features that help them in the running.
Flexible Legs
Ostrich have 40 to 55 cm in length of springy legs that help them take a stride of 5 meters. Their long legs maintain their weight and accelerate to move forward faster with each step. Their legs have strong muscles allowing them to move forward and backward; even their kick can kill a lion.
Wings
Ostriches belong to the bird’s family; that’s why they have wings, just like humans have tailbone that doesn’t have any role but are still present in our body because of our ancestors. They have 2 meter wide ostriches that help them move faster in the frantic race and maintain their balance while changing direction. Their wings function the same as the airplane’s wings that keep their balance during flight.
Center Of Gravity
Ostriches’ center of gravity is located between their legs and wings, allowing them to balance their body while protecting their internal organs. This helps ostrich achieve the speed of 60 km/h with less effort, and without getting tired as humans, we spend a lot of force to move forward.
Perfect Body
Ostriches have the perfect body with two-toed feet and joints with tendons. Their toes have soft soles that bear the shocks while running, working as a shock absorber. While their lightweight legs with muscles closely attached to their body help swing their legs faster. A thick thigh with ligaments in it creates flexibility during the race.
Why Do Ostrich Run?
As you know, they have the perfect body for running because they can’t fly. So to outrun predators, they must need robust legs to cover a long distance. A few reasons why do ostrich run are as follow;
Natural Capability
Ostriches are the fastest runners by birth. They run to compete with each other, finding who’s the best runner among them or just for entertainment.
Food
Ostriches are primarily found in Africa, where food isn’t in much quantity, so they have to move from one place to another in search of food. Finding fresh grass in those arid lands is difficult, so they run fast to find the new grazing site before others do. In Safari tracking a running ostrich might be a fun activity to do, but you can’t chase them longer because of their speed.
Predators
In Africa, you can find lions, leopards, hyenas, and other wild dogs searching for their prey. Ostrich needs to run fast for his life and to escape. These animals can chase their prey at a long distance, so to outrun them, they run several miles in a single flight.
How Far Does an Ostrich Run In A Day?
Usually, ostriches do not run for a whole day; they just run at a small distance to find food or for other reasons. They can run for a long time to outrun the predator. Ostrich can run 30 miles in an hour, which means they can run 180 miles in a12 hours by taking a rest after each hour.
FAQs
Q1.Is the ostrich the fastest running bird on earth?
Yes, ostriches are the fastest running birds that can achieve the speed of 60 mph at a very short distance.
Q2.Can ostriches run faster than horses?
Ostriches run faster than horses because a horse can run at 30 mph, much lower than an ostrich.
Q3.Is an ostrich faster than a cheetah?
There isn’t any terrestrial animal that can outrun a cheetah because a cheetah can run at 75 mph while an ostrich can run at 43 mph. Cheetahs usually prey upon animals that are easy to chase, while ostrich is a bit harder and more difficult because their kick can kill them.
Q4.Do Ostrich Run Faster Than Humans?
Yes, ostriches run faster than humans because the fastest human, known as Usain Bolt, has achieved the speed of 27 mph, while the ostrich can run at 43 mph, which means still below this bird.
Final Words:
Ostriches have excellent running skills that make them superior to many birds and animals. They can achieve an average speed of 43 mph. With their running capability, ostriches can kick perfectly to kill their predators. They can run faster, longer and can defend themselves from dangerous animals.
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