An ostrich is the largest living bird in the world, standing up to about nine feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds. These remarkable creatures live in Africa and are famous for several surprising traits: they can't fly (their wings are too small for their massive bodies), but they can run very fast, sprinting at speeds up to about 45 miles per hour on their powerful legs. Their legs are so strong that a single kick can seriously injure a large predator.

Ostriches have huge eyes (among the largest of any land animal) and long necks that help them spot danger from far away across the African plains. Despite their size, they're surprisingly graceful runners, using their wings for balance as they race across open ground.

You've probably heard that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when scared. This is actually a myth! What people mistook for head-burying is the ostrich lowering its head to the ground to check on its eggs or to blend in with the landscape. When real danger appears, an ostrich runs away at incredible speed or fights back with those powerful legs.

People sometimes call someone an ostrich if they're ignoring an obvious problem, based on that false belief about head-burying. If your friend refuses to study for a big test, you might say they're “playing ostrich” about the situation.