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Ostrich eggs in a nest on a farm. The egg of the ostrich (genus Struthio) is the largest of any living bird (being exceeded in size by those of the extinct elephant bird genus Aepyornis). The shell has a long history of use by humans as a container and for decorative artwork, including beads. The eggs are not commonly eaten.
Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs, [68] though they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird – on average they are 15 cm (5.9 in) long, 13 cm (5.1 in) wide, and weigh 1.4 kg (3.1 lb), over 20 times the weight of a chicken's egg and only 1 to 4% the size of the female. [69]
Ostrich leather is a lucrative commodity, and the large feathers are used as plumes for the decoration of ceremonial headgear. Ostrich eggs and meat have been used by humans for millennia. Ostrich oil is another product that is made using ostrich fat.
A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 m (9.2 ft) and weigh over 156 kg (344 lb). [49] A mass of 200 kg (440 lb) has been cited for the ostrich but no wild ostriches of this weight have been verified. [2] Eggs laid by the ostrich are the largest in the world, weighing 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).
Even though the ostrich is a bird, it can’t fly. Ostriches have wings, of course, but they are too small to support their weight. In addition, birds need keel-shaped sternums for flight, and ...
Eggs of: ostrich, emu, kiwi and chicken. Egg size tends to be proportional to the size of the adult bird, [citation needed] from the half gram egg of the bee hummingbird to the 1.5 kg egg of the ostrich. Kiwis have disproportionately large eggs, up to 20% of the female's body weight. [18]