Ostriches are unusual in many respects birds, starting with huge growth and ending with an absolute lack of flying skills. But the most interesting is the well-known assertion that giants hide their heads in the sand. Find out from the article how reliable this feature is.
Ostrich with a head in the sand: a story of delusion
It has been proved by modern naturalists, zoologists and ornithologists: the ostrich does not bury its head in the sand, this is a myth.
Did you know? During the excavation of caves in the Altaiinhabited over forty thousand years ago, decorations were found from the shell of ostrich eggs.
During the time of the ancient Roman conquests, soldiers who came to distant countries talked about strange animals and birds that they met on their way. Under the influence of many factors: lack of education, over-developed imagination, and simply the desire to attract the attention of listeners, the warrior travelers instilled a little.
To justify the ancient storytellers, it should be noted that in the savannas where ostriches live, optical illusion is often observed.
Read more about breeding ostriches at home, as well as what ostriches eat in the wild and at home.
In the hot air from the heat, there may be an illusion of the movement of the sand or the air itself, so it may seem that the bird did not just tilt its head, but actually hid it in the sand. 
There is another explanation: as you know, birds love to swim in the sand to get rid of skin parasites; Ostriches are no exception. Perhaps the part of the bird's attempt to clear the head and neck, burying it for short moments in the sand, has misled someone.
Whatever it was, but the myth was considered a reality not only by ordinary people, but also by scientists, such as Timothy from Gaza, a Byzantine scientist (author of the work “On Animals”), or Pliny the Elder (author of Natural History). By the way, the latter, according to unverified data, personally visited Africa on duty at the court of Vespasian.
Did you know? The fashion for ostrich feathers on hats was introduced in France, and behind it in all of Europe, Queen Marie-Antoinette.
Popular myths and their refutation
Existed for a long time and still popular myth has quite plausible interpretations. However, in actual fact they are all easily refuted. 
Fear
It is believed that this bird, greatly frightened, hides its head in the sand - apparently hoping that the bodies are not visible on the surface. In fact, the female sitting on the eggs, noticing a predator, tries to become as inconspicuous as possible for him.
The female bends down to the ground with her whole body, pressing her neck and head, which at a distance can be misinterpreted. If this does not work, the bird will take the predator away from the nest or protect it. It should be noted that the blow of a double-clawed paw can be extremely dangerous for a lion.
Important! Recommendation for Ostrich Breed: With a paw blow, a bird can bend a centimeter-thick metal rod, so it should be handled with care, especially during the breeding season.
To further debunk the myth, think of the speed of up to 70 km / h, which these giants can develop if they are in danger. 
Sleep
It is not true that the ostriches are sleeping, their heads are buried in the sand. Ostriches are social birds: they live in groups, have a clear circle of duties and rules.
We advise you to read about how to collect and store ostrich eggs before incubation, how to incubate ostrich eggs at home, as well as how to make an incubator for ostrich eggs with your own hands.
For example, the birds sleep in turns, crouching on their long paws and hiding their heads under the wing, as many birds do. But the “watchmen” awake at this time from time to time bow their heads to the ground in order to hear the approaching danger in time. This, too, could be a cause of delusion.
Search for food underground
The diet of ostriches includes roots, leaves, seeds and herbs, and in addition to them - insects and small reptiles. To lift something from the ground, having such growth, it is necessary to bend low. 
A head lowered for a few minutes in a thicket of grass or in the bushes may well lead to wrong thoughts. In addition, because of a special digestive system, ostriches need to regularly fill the stomach with pebbles, which help to grind food.
Important! Recommendation to novice farmers: in a pen or ostrich farm there should always be a container with coarse sand and small pebbles or gravel.
To sum up: as the facts prove, the bird does not hide the head in the sand, if only because it is possible to suffocate in this way. There are reasons forcing these giants to bend low, even to break sand with their beak, but in this the ostriches are no different from the most ordinary birds.
