Ostrich chicks

Parental duties have been shared by fathers in some species for longer than among humans. These kids are watching their dad nibble, learning grazing and browsing skills while hunger adds educational motivation.

Father ostrich is more than capable of and inclined to protect them from predators. He’s not very bright though (neither is his wife), so he is often outfoxed by carnivorous foxy types (Are there others?), especially as counting children is not his strong suit.

In the wild the parents may raise only few of the hatched chicks. Even the ostrich farmers have to deal with temperature fluctuations and sudden illnesses that sometimes decimate chick numbers.

The biggest babies among all feathered species in nature, they’re delicate but fortunately about grown (and fast-running) by a year old, mature after three or a little longer. In contrast, the egg is the smallest of all bird eggs compared to the size of the bird laying it (Riëtte, 2016; Wikipedia).