Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand?

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“Bury your head in the sand” is an idiom that implies to prevent or disregard a tight spot.
(Image credit: Martin Harvey/Getty Images)

For centuries, individuals have actually declared that, when confronted with threat, ostriches(Struthio types)stick their heads in the sand to conceal. This vibrant image caused the popular expression “bury your head in the sand” to explain when somebody declines to face their issues head-on.

This belief about ostriches might have been produced by the Roman biologist Pliny the Elderlikewise called Gaius Plinius Secundus, who finished among the earliest collections of encyclopedias according to ABC scienceIn Book 10 of “The Natural History,” he explains an ostrich concealing its head in the bushes to appear unnoticeable.

“They have the marvellous property of being able to digest every substance without distinction, but their stupidity is no less remarkable; for although the rest of their body is so large, they imagine, when they have thrust their head and neck into a bush, that the whole of the body is concealed,” he composed, according to one translation of the text.

Do ostriches truly bury their heads? No, they do not, however they often appear like they are.

Ostriches are the biggest birds worldwide however have extremely little heads relative to their size. (Image credit: NNehring/Getty Images)

Ostriches are discovered in Africa and reside in a range of environments, consisting of meadows, savannas and deserts. They are the world’s biggest birds, weighing approximately 287 pounds(130 kgs), and they can mature to 9 feet(2.7 meters)high, according to San Diego ZooTheir heads are reasonably little, and they do have a couple of habits that, from a range, might look like they are burying their heads.

Related: 12 of the most significant birds in the world

Unlike nest-building birds, ostriches dig shallow holes in the sand or dirt to lay their eggs. Both moms and dads turn the eggs a number of times a day to guarantee they are kept warm. This habits may, from afar, appear like they have their heads buried.

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Ostriches do not develop nests like other birds, rather they dig shallow holes with their claws. (Image credit: aaaaimages/Getty Images)

Ostriches likewise invest the majority of their time with their heads close to the ground as they try to find food, consisting of lawns and, periodically, little animals, such as mice, frogs and pests

Ostriches remain close to the ground while foraging for food which, from a range, might appear like their heads are buried in the ground. (Image credit: Rini Kools/Shutterstock)

They are the fastest-running birds worldwide, with an optimal speed of 43 miles per hour (70 km/h) according to Smithsonian’s National Zoo. In the wild, ostriches have numerous natural predators– consisting of cheetahs, lions and leopards– and if they’re in threat, ostriches frequently escape.

If they can not leave, they often lie very flat on the groundwith their necks extended, to mix in with the surface. Some reports recommend that adult ostriches utilize their wings to interrupt the dust beneath them, producing a cloud to sidetrack close-by predators far from their chicks. They can even provide a kick strong enough to eliminate a lion.

In truth, ostriches rely on their speed and eager senses to spot and get away predators; they have no requirement to bury their heads.

Elise studied marine biology at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. She has actually worked as a self-employed reporter concentrating on the marine world. Elise is dealing with Live Science through Future Academy, a program to train future reporters on finest practices in the field.