Ostrich
The ostrich is the world’s largest bird – it stands up to 2.7m tall and can weigh as much as 159kg. It can’t fly, but with its long legs and powerful thighs, it can cover five metres in a single stride and can run at speeds of over 70km per hour. It also produces the world’s largest eggs – around 15cm long and weighing up to 1.5kg. But when ostriches were first sought after in the 19th century, it wasn’t for their eggs or meat – it was for their feathers.
