The flightless ostrich (
Struthio camelus), found in southwest Africa, is the largest living bird. Males grow to 8 feet in height and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Their stride exceeds 23 feet, enabling them to attain a running speed up to 45 miles per hour. Female ostriches are brown; males are black, with long white feathers on their wings and tail. During the nineteenth century, these white plumes were used in hatmaking and dressmaking, which led to the decline of the ostrich population in the wild and the breeding of domesticated ostriches. Now there is renewed interest in ostriches for their hide, used in the making of leather goods. In some parts of the world, ostrich meat and eggs are delicacies. The ostrich egg is the largest egg produced by a bird, averaging 3 pounds 10 ounces.
