Ratites are flightless birds that include ostriches, emus, rheas, and kiwis. They lack a keel bone structure that wing muscles attach to, making them flightless. Some species are farmed for meat, feathers, and skins, while others are endangered. Extinct ratites include moa and elephant birds. Tinamous are their closest relatives and are found in Central and South America.
Ratites are a family of flightless birds that includes ostriches, rheas, and emus, among others. They have a unique bone structure among birds that makes them flightless, as they lack the structure that wing muscles attach to in other birds, called a keel. There is debate about when and how they evolved, but some form of ratite has been around for at least 50 million years. Today some species are farmed both as a source of meat and for their feathers and skins, but others are endangered.
Actions
The ratite family includes ostriches, emus, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwis. There are also several extinct ratites, including moa and elephant birds. Ostriches are the largest living species and generally grow to 6-9 feet (2 and 3 m) tall, weigh about 360 pounds (160 kg), and can reach speeds of up to 46 mph (74 km/h). They are native to Africa, but are commercially farmed all over the world. Kiwis are at the other end of the spectrum and rarely grow larger than chickens. Several kiwi species are endangered and are very prone to predators such as cats and dogs. They are known to lay the largest eggs in relation to their body size of any bird, with one egg weighing up to 25% of their body weight.
Rheas somewhat resemble smaller ostriches and live in South America. There are two species of rhea, each of which tends to form flocks with deer, similar to how ostriches do with other animals such as zebras. The larger of the two species, Greater Rhea, is 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall and weighs about 50 pounds (20 kg), while the smaller, called Darwin’s Rhea, stands about 3 feet (about 1 m) tall and weighs 33 to 55 pounds (15 to 25 kg). A similar looking bird, the emu, lives in Australia and reaches a height of about 6 meters. They are able to swim and their legs are so strong they can kick through metal fences.
Cassowaries are also extremely strong and can disembowel an adult human with their kicks. They don’t like coming into contact with humans, but will become aggressive when cornered. Adults stand about 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) tall and weigh about 130 pounds (60 kg). They are able to run at speeds up to about 30 mph (about 50 km/h) and swim in both rivers and the ocean. After ostriches and emus, cassowaries are the third tallest bird in the world.
An extinct ratite, the Madagascar elephant bird, was the largest bird in the world at the time it lived, though it is thought to have become extinct around the 17th century. On average, they stood about 17 feet (over 10 m) tall and weighed over 3 pounds (800 kg). Their eggs were about 400 times the volume of a chicken egg, with a diameter of about 160 feet (3m). They are thought to have been at least partially responsible for the legend of the Roc, a giant bird that appears in the stories of Sinbad the Mariner. Another extinct type of ratite was the moa, which lived in New Zealand until it went extinct around AD 1. There were 1300 species of moa, ranging in height between 11 and 3 feet (about 13 to 1m) and weighed between 4 and 30 pounds (520 to 14 kg), depending on the species.
Cultivation
Ostriches, emus and rheas are grown commercially for their meat, skin, feathers, eggs and other body parts. Emus in particular are used to make emu oil, which is a nutritional supplement made from their fat. Rheas and ostriches are most commonly grown for their meat, as well as their hide and feathers, which are used to make leather goods and garment decorations. In most areas, including the US, EU, and Australia, there are regulations around raising ratites, including the type and height of fences needed to maintain them, and the cleanliness of slaughter sites. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking ostrich meat similar to beef, making sure it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (about 63°C) or 160°F (about 71°C). ) if it is ground.
Similar birds
The closest relatives of the ratites are the tinamous, which live in Central and South America. They are particularly related to the rhea, both in terms of their body structure and in terms of their DNA. Most species are quite small, with the largest tinamou weighing around 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and the smallest weighing just 1.5 ounces (43 g). While they may fly a little, they do walk or run unless highly threatened. Unlike ratites, their muscles are adapted for flight, but it appears their circulatory system cannot function properly for long flights.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
