World Ostrich Day - February 2

Here's a holiday you might see on Facebook but isn't documented in very many places: World Ostrich Day.

Ostriches are ratites, just like Emus, Cassowaries, Kiwis, and Rheas. Ostriches are big; they can be over 9 feet tall and weigh more than 340 pounds. No land animal has bigger eyes, and no living bird lays bigger eggs. And they're relatively fast, able to sprint at 43 mph and run longer distances at 34 mph.

There are 2 extant species, the Common Ostrich and the Somali Ostrich. Taxonomy isn't an exact science; the Somali used to be considered a subspecies of Common Ostrich, suggesting that there's not vast differences between the 2 species. (Apparently the Somali has a bluish neck and thighs, especially in the males.) The Common Ostrich still has 4 subspecies, at least for the moment.

Today is a day to celebrate these impressive birds.

Photo by John-Paul Rowe on Unsplash



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