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Guess what we saw this morning! [Squeaks is too excited to wait]. Sure, you go ahead and tell them, Squeaks.

Which birds did you spot? Yeah, we saw a bunch of crows! … and a hawk … … and we even saw a tiny hummingbird zipping around! I think it would be fun to fly like one of those birds, too, Squeaks.

But with all the beautiful birds out there, I also love birds that can’t fly. Especially ostriches — huge birds that live in Africa! Ostriches can grow to be 2 meters, or 6 feet tall — that’s taller than most grown-ups! [Squeaks squeaks].

I know! That is one big bird. And I bet you can guess why they can’t fly ….

It’s because they’re so huge! Their wings aren’t strong enough to lift them into the air — they’re too heavy. Instead, ostriches are built for life on the ground, and they use their legs to get around.

It helps that ostriches have some of the most impressive bird legs out there! When they need to get somewhere quickly, they can run up to 70 kilometers an hour, or about 45 miles an hour. That’s faster than cars drive down some streets!

Ostriches normally walk along the ground, looking for plant seeds to eat, but if a predator that wants to eat them gets close, they can run away really fast. [Squeaks asks a question]. Oh, Squeaks wants to know how many other birds don’t fly. While most birds do fly, there are fifty kinds of birds that get around by walking or swimming instead.

We talked about some of them once — penguins! Remember, Squeaks? Instead of flying, penguins waddle around on land.

But what they’re really good at is swimming through the water. Not being able to fly really changes things for a bird! But even though flightless birds move differently, ostriches and flying birds still have a lot in common.

Can you think of anything, Squeaks? [Squeaks thinks, then squeaks some answers.] Great idea, Squeaks. Ostriches still lay hard eggs, just like other birds. Ostrich eggs are some of the biggest in the world.

They’re bigger than a softball! If I had one here, it would barely fit in my hand. Instead of making a nest in a tree, ostriches lay their eggs on the ground, and keep them safe by staying close and scaring away any predators that might want to eat their eggs.

What else do you notice that’s the same about ostriches and other birds, Squeaks? [Squeaks answers]. Yes, ostriches still have wings and feathers. Instead of using their wings to fly, ostriches use them for balance while they run so they don’t fall over!

Their feathers are a bit different from other birds’, too. If you look closely, the feather is a bit spread out, so it’s very fluffy and light. Those feathers make an ostrich’s wing look kind of like a big paper fan — like this one!

And it works the same way. See? We can use this fan just like an ostrich uses its fluffy feathers, Squeaks!

I could use a chance to cool down after sharing all of this awesome animal knowledge with you. Would you rather be a flying bird, like a crow or a sparrow, or a flightless bird like an ostrich? Which other amazing animals would you love to learn about?

Ask a grown-up to help you leave a comment below, or send us an email at kids@scishow.com. We’ll see you next time, here at the Fort! [ ♪ OUTRO ♪ ].