Have You Ever Met a World Record Holder?

Have you ever met the world’s largest living bird? These birds can reach over nine feet tall (2.7 meters) and tip the scales at 320 lbs (145 kg)—now that’s a big bird! And it isn’t just their body size that takes the world record for the largest. Their eyeballs are the largest of any land animal at a massive two inches in diameter (5 cm).

And the world records keep coming. Ostrich eggs are the largest of any animal at six inches (15 cm) in diameter and weighing in at three or more lbs (1.3 kg). When the chicks hatch, they’re fuzzy and adorable—but not small! Ostriches take another world record by having the largest chicks.

So if you’ve ever met an ostrich, you’ve met a world record holder!

We once got to try eating an ostrich egg. It was huge (the equivalent of about two dozen chicken eggs) and made the biggest batch of scrambled eggs you can imagine. We were rather surprised by the taste; it was quite bland, we thought, compared to chicken eggs.

Avery holds an ostrich egg!

We’ve also had the opportunity to meet ostriches when we filmed at Ararat Ridge Zoo at the Ark Encounter. We learned, despite their size, that they can run really fast—over 40 mph (64 km/h)—and those long legs are strong enough to defend themselves from predators such as lions in their native sub-Saharan Africa.

We enjoyed our adventure with these very unique birds. You can watch a clip from “Runners,” the episode of our adventure program Schus Off! featuring ostriches, below:

Well, we’re off on another adventure. Until next time, as you explore God’s creation, remember to praise him for the wonderful creatures that he has made: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

P.S. Watch the full episode of “Runners,” along with many other episodes, by asking your parents to help you try a free seven-day trial of Answers TV.