Ostriches are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can find. They eat a variety of foods from seeds and plant matter to lizards and frogs. Ostriches have no teeth and therefore often swallow pebbles to help with digestion in the gizzard. Food collects in the crop then slides down the neck in a bolus. The ostrich has intestines 14 metres long so that it gets the most out of the tough plants it eats. They are able to go without water for several days surviving on the moisture from plants instead. They are also capable of making their own water internally.

Ostriches can grow to measure 1.7 – 2.8 metres (5.5 – 9.4 feet) in height and weigh 130 – 150 kilograms. Despite being flightless, Ostriches have small wings that are covered with fluffy feathers. The wings are too small to lift the Ostriches heavy bodies off the ground and into the air but are used as rudders when the bird is running to help it change direction.

Ostriches have long, bare necks, a flat, broad beak with a rounded tip and large eyes. They have long, powerful, bare legs and strong feet with 2 sharp claws on each foot which are used for defence. Their massive leg muscles enable them to deliver a powerful kick which could seriously injure or even kill an attacker. However, Ostriches can only kick forwards.

Ostriches contain their main musculature in the hips and thighs. The long legs enable the Ostrich to run at speeds of over 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour). A male Ostrich has a black plumage with white wing tips, however, females and chicks have a brownish, more duller plumage which helps them camouflage.

In scorching desert conditions where temperatures may rise above 120 degrees fahrenheit, the Ostriches body is fine-tuned to stay around 18 degrees less. Any higher than this disrupts the Ostriches internal chemistry. Therefore, the Ostrich uses anatomy, physiology and behaviour in order to stay cool. Ostriches also have acute eyesight and hearing and can sense predators from far away.

Ostriches have a nomadic lifestyle and are mostly diurnal, active early and late in the day. They roam around the savannas in groups of 50 birds. Males are territorial and will defend their territory aggressively.

Ostriches do not really bury their heads in the sand. When an Ostrich is threatened, it will lie flat on the ground to appear less obvious or run away. If caught, the Ostrich will kick out at its pursuer with its powerful legs.

An Ostrich will also use posture to intimidate a rival or predator whereby it will fluff up its wing feathers and hiss loudly. Ostriches are designed for speed and most will comfortably outrun their predators which include lions, leopards and hyenas. Ostriches are very vocal birds and vocalizations include whistling, booming, hissing and snorting.