Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand?

Question

you know... like in cartoons?

Answer 1

yes ..they do that to keep cool  

Answer 2

No, but they do lay down with their heads flat on the ground so they look like a bush.

Answer 3

this really made me laugh and reading that other person's answer "they do it to keep cool" made me die! I understand you knew that they don't, but just wondered why cartoons have them doing that. Idk either, but they don't. [How can they breathe?]

Answer 4

From Encyclopedia Britannica:

To escape detection, chicks as well as adults may lie on the ground with neck outstretched.

Male ostriches use their bills to dig shallow nests in the sand and move their eggs around. From a distance, this could look like the ostrich's head is disappearing in the sand.

Answer 5

http://www.ostriches.org/factor.html#hea...

OSTRICHES BURY THEIR HEADS IN THE SAND

Fiction! Ostriches do NOT bury their heads in the sand.

This tale originates from the fact that the male ostrich will dig a large hole (up to 6 to 8 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet deep) in the sand for the nest / eggs. Predators cannot see the eggs across the countryside which gives the nest a bit of protection. The hen as well as the rooster takes turns setting on the eggs and because of the indention in the ground, usually just blend into the horizon. All birds turn their eggs (with their beak) several times a day during the incubation period. From a distance it appears as though the bird has his/her head in the sand.

An ostrich's first response to fear is to run. Not only do they not stay to protect the eggs, they attempt to detract a predator to follow them. Due to the fact that they can run sustained speeds of about forty miles per hour, most predators are quickly lost and the eggs are safe.

The photo at the top of this page was set-up by placing food in a hole.