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Posted by on Jan 7, 2016 in TellMeWhy |

Does an Ostrich Hide Its Head in the Sand?

Does an Ostrich Hide Its Head in the Sand?

Does an Ostrich Hide Its Head in the Sand? No, an ostrich does not hide or bury its head in the sand. According to this old belief, the ostrich hides its head to escape danger, because it thinks that it cannot be seen if it cannot see others.

The probable explanation is that an ostrich may try to evade danger by squatting on the ground with its neck held out straight. But when the danger comes closer, the ostrich does just what other wild animals do — it runs off at top speed.

Its long, muscular legs can carry it in 15-foot steps at speeds up to 40 miles an hour. An ostrich can easily outrun most enemies.

Even though they’re birds, ostriches cannot fly. Their bodies are simply too large to permit flight. Their wings, while useless for flight, do help them to keep their balance when they run.

When nesting, they dig shallow holes in the ground to use as nests for their eggs. They use their beaks to turn their eggs several times each day. From a distance, an ostrich leaning into a hole to turn an egg could easily look like it’s burying its head in the sand!

Content for this question contributed by Andrea Yanni, resident of Linden, southeastern Union County, New Jersey, USA