WEBVTT - What Are the Secrets of the World’s Largest Birds? 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.840 Guess what gave what's that mango? So I read this 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:07.600 great story in Scientific American. It's called Saving California Condors 0:00:07.640 --> 0:00:10.959 with a chisel and hand puppets, So it has to 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:12.920 be one of the greatest titles I've read in a while. 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:14.960 But are you familiar with these birds? 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:19.400 I mean, I know they're huge birds, and I think 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:20.880 they're in danger too, aren't they. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.279 Yeah, that's right, So they were close to extinction a 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:25.720 few decades ago. I think their count was down to 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:28.960 just over twenty birds in the early eighties, and that's 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:32.199 actually when the Oregon Zoo stepped in. So one of 0:00:32.240 --> 0:00:34.680 the strange things about condor eggs is that sometimes the 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:37.440 chicks aren't actually strong enough to break out of the shells. 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:41.040 So the caretakers at the zoo like they stand by 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:43.800 ready with a chisel to help them break out. And 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:46.360 in fact, it worked so well that the zoo has 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:48.880 now raised more than seventy condor chicks. 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:51.800 That's awesome. But what do they do then? Do they 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:52.840 release them into the while? 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:55.960 Yeah, but if the chicks are raised in captivity without 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:58.400 their parents, the minders have to be really careful about 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.680 how they feed them, because you know, they don't want 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.240 these birds to be too trusting of humans, so they 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:06.520 have these hand puppets made to look like condors, and 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.000 that's what they used to feed the little hatchlings. But 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:12.920 reading that story made me think, you know, maybe it's 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:14.600 time to do an episode on some of the world's 0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:17.960 largest birds and also all the secrets we definitely don't 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:42.160 know about them, So let's dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:44.560 welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Mongish articular, and my 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.600 good pal Will Pearson's on vacation today. But I'm so 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:51.320 thrilled because I get to hang out with the wonderful 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.040 Gave Lucier, who's on the line with me. Hey, Gabe, 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:54.680 how's it going. 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:56.720 Hey, it's going well. Thanks for having me. 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:58.480 It's great to have you, Gabe. And on the other 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:01.680 side of the soundproof glass car into the biggest, fattest 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:04.919 turkey I've seen this side of Thanksgiving, that's our friend 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.040 and producer Tristan McNeil. And I've got to say, while 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:11.079 Tristan's on theme as usual, it does feel a little 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.280 weird to watch him chow down on a bird while 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:17.560 we're also talking about birds. Yeah, I mean, I. 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:19.280 Was hoping we'd get to see Tristan in like a 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.320 big bird costume today, or maybe find out that he's 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.160 secretly been taking falconry classes or something. 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:27.720 Well, we should put that in the suggestion box for 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:31.399 next time, I think. But today's episode is all about 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:33.720 the world's largest birds. 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:35.240 Yeah, that's right. 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:38.720 We scoured the skies to find the most oversized birds 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:41.640 out there, and now it's time to spill all their 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:45.680 juicy secrets, like how have large birds adapted for survival 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:47.240 and how they got so big in. 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:47.960 The first place. 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:50.040 But you know, a mango, I'm curious, where do you 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:51.320 want to start with this one? 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:53.880 So I thought I kicked things off with a nice, 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.639 feel good story about one of the world's largest birds, 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:01.040 which is the wandering albatross. And this species of albatross 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:03.600 is big by just about any measure. Their bodies are 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:05.680 about three and a half feet from bill to tail. 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:09.760 They weigh twenty some pounds on average. But without a doubt, 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.639 their biggest and most striking feature has to be their 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.639 enormous wingspan. Because you know, I'm sure you probably know this. 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:20.480 Wandering albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any living bird. 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.680 It's between eleven and twelve feet from tip to tip, 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:26.920 and with wings that big, you know, these birds are 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:30.600 obviously built for flight. They've actually been known to circumnavigate 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:33.320 the Southern Ocean up to three times in a single year, 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:35.960 and one bird in particular is known to have traveled 0:03:36.000 --> 0:03:38.720 nearly four thousand miles in just twelve days. 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.680 Which is so impressive of course, but like, what's their 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:44.680 secret for covering that kind of distance? Because you have 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:46.960 to think that flapping a pair of twelve foot wings 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:48.800 must take an awful lot of energy. 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:51.120 Yeah, there's really no way in albatross could do that 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:55.400 by flapping like they'd be exhausted within an hour tops. Instead, 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:59.200 albatross has actually used this method called dynamics soaring, and 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.960 it allows them to glide across these incredible distances without 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.920 needing to flap their wings. And this works because the 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.600 birds have this special tendon in each of their shoulders 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:11.360 that helps lock their wings into place. It's kind of 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:15.520 a birdie cruise control, and once their wings are locked 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:19.359 into position, albatross is simply glide along, swooping as needed 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:22.080 to catch the wind and gradually rise back up. 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.719 That's really cool, but I mean, they never have to 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:27.960 stop and take a rest or anything. 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:30.599 No, not really, I mean it's hard to walk on 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:34.000 land with that twelve foot wingspan. So apart from mating season, 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.800 wandering albatrosses tend to stick to the air as much 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:40.039 as possible. And there is one exception though, if an 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:43.080 albatross goes crazy and just eats way too many fish, 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:44.839 they might need to take a break and float on 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:46.800 top of the water for a while, you know, until 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:47.560 they've digested. 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:51.120 Well that's pretty cute, but I think you said you 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:54.279 had a feel good story about albatrosses, Like, well, what 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:55.360 exactly does that mean? 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:59.480 Yeah, that's right, and it's actually about one albatross in particular. 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:02.760 Name is Wisdom, and as of this year, she's going 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:06.160 to be sixty seven years old, which makes her the 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:09.839 world's oldest known wild bird. She was born sometime in 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:13.120 nineteen fifty one, but this biologist started tracking her in 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:16.400 nineteen fifty six, and since then, Wisdom has managed to 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.320 rack up somewhere between two to three million miles in 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.160 flying time, which is the equivalent of about four to 0:05:22.240 --> 0:05:23.960 six trips to the moon and back. 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:28.280 Gosh, that's incredible, or at least I think it's incredible. 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.600 I mean, I actually don't know how long albatross has 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:32.880 typically lived, do you. 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:35.159 Yeah, I mean it depends on the species, but they'll 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:37.719 live I guess four to fifty years if they're lucky. 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:40.240 Albatrosses are one of those rare species of birds and 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:43.520 wild animals in general. I guess that sometimes live long 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:44.839 enough to die of old age. 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:47.599 Well, I guess that's, you know, one of the perks 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:50.840 of that wandering lifestyle, right, because I mean, if you're 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:54.200 constantly on the move, flying over an ocean, you pretty 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.120 much have an unlimited food supply right there below you, 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.479 and most predators wouldn't be able to keep up with 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:00.280 you anyway. 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:03.800 Yeah, that's definitely true, and amazingly the biggest threats to 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:07.880 albatross's are natural disasters and also I guess the consumption 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:10.400 of plastic, both of which Wisdom has managed to avoid 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:15.000 for almost seven decades now. But perhaps the most interesting 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.799 thing to me was that she's birth and raised over 0:06:17.880 --> 0:06:21.080 forty chicks over her long lifetime, and that includes her 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:23.680 most recent one, which was hatch just this spring. 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.200 I've always thought albatrosses were really cool, you know, partially 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:29.599 because of all the old sea myths around them, and 0:06:29.960 --> 0:06:33.840 also that epic Collridge poem. But you know, nowadays they 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.040 mostly make the news, you know, and there's like YouTube 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:38.120 videos and stuff that just kind of make fun of 0:06:38.160 --> 0:06:40.679 how silly they look when they're trying to walk on land, 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:41.760 which kind of a bummer. 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:45.640 I mean, even the name albatross, which is pretty awkward 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:47.960 in its own right, Like it was apparently just taken 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:51.200 from words used to describe other sea birds. So it 0:06:51.240 --> 0:06:54.919 comes from algatas, which was I guess, this Arabic word 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.440 for a sea eagle, and then that was adapted into 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:01.760 a Spanish word alcatraz, which was the word for a pelican, 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.640 and then finally the word made into English I guess 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.800 this was in the seventeenth century, and that's when we 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:08.120 got the word albatross. 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:10.040 Well. 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:13.600 As poorly conceived as that name is, I think penguins 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:16.560 might have it even worse. And that's because way back 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:21.600 when sailors actually used to call them ourse feet. That's ridiculous, 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:28.640 I know, and I mean you can guess why it's ony, yeah, 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:30.640 I mean, it's on account of their short legs and 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.800 their feet being so close to their backsides. But you know, 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.240 thankfully the Welsh did come up with their own name penguin, 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:39.760 which literally translates as white head. 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:42.640 So I like, how both these names that are on 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:46.200 such random characteristics, Like, you know, if I was defining 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.640 a penguin, the fact that it's bum touches his feet 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:52.560 like that would be a defining characteristic, you know, or 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.440 that they have white heads, like do penguins even have 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.920 white heads? Well, I mean the white head name it 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:02.680 was actually another case of mistaken bird identity, you know, 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:06.080 just like with the albatross. The Welsh applied the name 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:09.680 penguin to their local great Auk population, and you know, 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.640 an awk being another kind of giant, black and white 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:15.560 sea bird. Sure, so the thinking is that some sailors 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:19.280 just mistook penguins for ox and the name just stuck. 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:22.160 I mean, I think we've got to make emotion to 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:26.000 stop letting sailors name things because they always get it wrong. 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.520 But I'm with you, But also this is kind of random. 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:32.000 But have you heard Benedict Cumberbatch try to say the 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:36.360 word penguins, Like, for whatever reason, he always winds up 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:41.520 calling them peng wings or penglings. It's just hilarious because 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.880 he winds up doing all this like penguin content, Like 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.120 he was in this cartoon penguin movie and he did 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:51.800 the narration for a BBC documentary about penguins, and the 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:54.760 whole time he's just butchering the name, Like I have 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.600 no idea how he lands these gigs or why no 0:08:57.640 --> 0:08:58.439 one corrects it. 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:01.520 That's pretty hilarious. I had no idea, but I'm going 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:03.600 to YouTube it right after this episode. 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:06.600 Should but you know, since we're on the subject of 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.679 penguins or penguins if you prefer, we should really take 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:12.360 a few minutes to talk about the largest of their kind, 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:16.120 which of course are emperor penguins. And these big birds 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:19.640 stand around four feet tall, which makes them the largest 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.560 of the eighteen penguin species found on Earth. And you know, 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:26.920 also a far cry from the smallest penguin species, and 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:30.600 that's the little blue penguin, which is only about sixteen 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:33.560 inches tall, and that's when it's fully grown. 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.600 I love that blue penguins are so little, like like 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:38.880 they're almost like a pocket penguin. I just want to 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.240 pick one off, like stuff it into my pockets. But 0:09:42.040 --> 0:09:44.240 let's talk more about these emperors, Like is it just 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.719 their size that sets the emperors apart, or are they 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.120 different from other penguins in other ways as well? 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:52.600 Yeah, well, one difference is that emperor penguins don't do 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:56.120 anything the easy way, like, for instance, other penguins in 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:59.439 the southern hemisphere, they make the sensible decision to lay 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.280 their eggs, you know, during the relatively warm summer months, 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:06.080 and that's the same time when Antarctic cruises make their rounds. 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:11.080 But emperor penguins they actually wait until winter arrives to 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:13.840 do their mating. And even then, emperors don't head for 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.800 the warmth of the coasts, you know, to lay their eggs. Instead, 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:21.319 they do the opposite and head south into the harshest weather. 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:26.520 That's not if I've learned anything from Marsha the penguins. 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:29.280 It's that emperors don't make things any easier on themselves 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:33.000 during their incubation periods. Like I know, most penguin species 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.920 will build nests out of like loose feathers or tiny 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:38.720 pebbles and keep their eggs there until they've hashed. But 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.520 emperor penguins have a different system, right, Like, they incubate 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:45.160 their one egg for the entire season, and they do 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:48.160 it by standing still and I think balancing it on 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:49.120 top of their feet. 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:53.160 Yeah, that's right, and this method, it really wouldn't work 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.160 at all if it weren't for some pretty impressive teamwork 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:58.679 on the part of their parents. Like because as soon 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.680 as the mother penguin lays her egg, she high tails 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:04.320 it towards the sea to feed and build up her 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:07.200 fat reserves. So for the next eight or nine weeks 0:11:07.200 --> 0:11:09.640 after that, the task of incubation is left to the 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.760 emperor dads, who are able to keep their egg warm 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:16.600 thanks to this special loose fold of skin that contains 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:20.400 a high concentration of blood vessels and this featherless patch 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:22.720 of skin it kind of drapes over the egg at 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:25.800 all times to keep it from freezing. And that's while 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:28.360 the father stands still for months on end. 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.960 I've actually read that male emperor penguins typically burn through 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:35.560 nearly half their body weight while waiting for their mates 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:37.960 to return. So this is actually one of those rare 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:40.840 cases in the animal kingdom where the plumpest and pudgest 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:45.480 males are also the most desirable. I mean, there are 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.120 you know, easily the best equipped to survive those long 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:51.679 ones without a meal. Yeah that's true, but you know, 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:55.000 just so people know that we aren't body shaming penguins 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:58.800 or anything. I want to mention that emperor penguins male 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:02.280 and female, are actually quite athletic, or you know, at 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.640 least they are in the water. In fact, well, most 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.080 aquatic birds would be lucky to dive two hundred feet 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:10.200 or so underwater. The emperor penguin is capable of diving 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.280 a stunning fifteen hundred. 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:13.120 Feet or more. 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:16.240 And the amount of time they can stay under is 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.240 just as impressive. Like I read, the longest dive on 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:22.520 record for an emperor is just under twenty eight minutes, 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:24.319 so that actually is. 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:26.000 Stunying to me. Like the fact that they can go 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:30.000 fifteen hundred feet under the water, that's incredible. But what 0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:30.959 is their secret? 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:35.040 Well, it comes down to this amazing trick of physiology. 0:12:35.120 --> 0:12:39.080 So basically, they can metabolize oxygen at a slower rate 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.079 during a dive than they would otherwise, like when resting. 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.920 And this is how Live Science explains it. Quote, the 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:49.839 penguins can switch between two modes of oxygen use, either 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.000 starving their muscles or giving them an extra shot of 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:56.560 oxygen to help keep them working. And so emperors they 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:58.959 actually have one other trick up their sleeves as well, 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:02.440 which is that their brainans have evolved to tolerate extremely 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:06.680 low levels of oxygen without shutting down. So not only 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.240 can these birds control their flow of oxygen, they can 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.160 survive on a reduced flow for periods of time that 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.240 would result in brain damage or even death and just 0:13:15.320 --> 0:13:17.640 about any other animal all. 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.360 Right, So clearly they're the Olympic divers of the animal kingdom, 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:23.280 even if their parenting habits are a little unusual. But 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.720 now that we've covered everyone's favorite flightless waterbirds, what do 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:28.920 you say we switch gears and talk about some of 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:30.520 their land loving cousins. 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:32.439 Plummed out for that. 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:47.040 But first, let's take a quick break. 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.360 You listen to part Time Genius and we're talking about 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:53.960 the secrets of the world's largest birds. Okay, Gabe, So 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:58.040 we've already covered the biggest fire a big swimmer, but 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:02.200 inch for inch and pound, the planet's tallest and heaviest 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.200 bird actually does neither of those things. And of course 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:08.520 we're talking about the ostridge here. Now. However awkward they 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:12.199 might look, ostriches are actually built for land speed. In fact, 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.480 they're capable of sprinting up to forty three miles per 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.600 hour in the short bursts, and that actually makes them 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:21.440 the fastest bipedal runners on the planet. But it's not 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.920 just their speed that's so impressive. Their endurance is absolutely 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:27.760 staggering as well. Ostriches are able to maintain speeds of 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:30.840 thirty one miles per hour for up to ten miles 0:14:30.840 --> 0:14:31.160 at a. 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.520 Time, which is you know why you never want to 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:35.840 challenge an ostrich to a foot race, right we all 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:39.560 know that old saying. Yeah, but you know, I did 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.680 some reading on what makes ostriches such great runners, and 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.040 it turns out the key to their speed is actually 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:45.760 their toes. 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:47.680 Really, so why is that? 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:50.720 Well, so most birds have three or four toes on 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:54.320 each foot, but ostriches only have two. And while you 0:14:54.440 --> 0:14:57.280 might think this would hinder the bird's balance in some way, 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:01.040 the reduced number of toes actually greatly improves the running form. 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.880 And as it turns out, two toed feet result in 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.520 less mass at the end of each leg, and that's 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.560 why ostriches can cover up to sixteen feet in a 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:10.720 single stride. 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:14.640 Sixteen feet in a single stride. That's crazy, But you know, 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.240 this whole two toe thing actually does make sense. I 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:20.560 read somewhere that hoofed animals once had more toes than 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:23.360 they do now, but gradually, over the course of millennia, 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:27.040 their toes dwindled down to just two per foot, and they, 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:29.360 I guess it, became some of the fastest runners in 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:31.400 the world as a result of that. But that's really 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:33.680 fascinating to me. Yeah, that is interesting. 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:36.080 And you know, another thing I didn't realize is that 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.680 people have been racing ostridges, you know, for sport, like 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:41.880 the way we race horses. And this has been going 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.400 on for over one hundred years at this point. And 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:48.120 weirder still, the practice got its start in Florida, and 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:52.480 that's where ostrich of course it did, right, of course, 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:56.160 and that's where ostrich racetracks first started popping up. And 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:59.240 this was in the late nineteenth century. Taurus would pay 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:02.520 fifty cents to mount these giant birds and attempt to 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.560 ride them. And you know, I say attempt because of course, 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:08.720 riding an ostrich is easier said than done, right, Like, 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:11.560 they don't take well to training, and it's next to 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:14.400 impossible to make them run in a straight line. Not 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.480 to mention how hard it is to hang on to 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.200 the back of something that's moving at forty miles per hour. 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:21.960 You know, there's actually a way around that problem now 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:25.280 that there's this annual event at the Meadowlands called the 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:28.640 Ostrich Derby, and I've never gone, but it just sounds 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:31.440 so great to me. So instead of riding the bird's bareback, 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:33.800 the jockeys are actually being pulled along in these brightly 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:38.240 colored chariots and the whole thing is completely ridiculous, but 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.640 it's got its own audience. Twenty eighteen was actually the 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.080 seventh year of the races have been held, and you 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:45.400 and I should really go to this. 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:48.160 Oh yeah, we gotta get tickets next year. 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:51.400 I do want to mention though, that if you ever 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.440 come face to face with a wild ostridge, running away 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:56.320 is not in your best interest. 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:56.880 Why not? 0:16:58.080 --> 0:16:59.960 Well, I mean there's a good chance the ostrich will 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:02.600 give chase. And remember these things can top out at 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.040 like forty five miles per hour, so. 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:09.680 They will catch you right. And male ostriches can grow 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:12.040 to be I think nine feet tall and over three 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:14.359 hundred pounds, so you definitely don't want to be on 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:17.920 the receiving end of that. But ostriches are sometimes known 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.720 to attack humans if they feel their territory is being threatened. 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:24.000 But if running is out, like, what is your best 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:26.240 bet for surviving an angry ostrich attack? 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:30.679 Well, I looked into that because obviously ostrich attacks are 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:34.280 such a common threat that it's really just irresponsible to 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:38.040 not be prepared for one. And so this is the 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:41.240 advice I found in Discovery News. Instead of running away 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:45.879 in terror, they recommend quote hiding, playing dead until the 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:50.560 bird becomes bored and leaves, or standing your ground and 0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:53.280 fighting the ostriche off with a long pole. 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:57.280 I like this idea of like fighting an ostrich off 0:17:57.280 --> 0:17:58.960 in a long pull. It makes a lot of sense 0:17:59.000 --> 0:17:59.159 to me. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.320 Yeah, right, never go anywhere without your ostrich pole and 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:04.440 you'll be just fine. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.639 That's good advice. But you know, before we move on 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:09.720 from ostriches, I do want to talk about a couple 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:12.119 other ways that these massive birds tip the scales. So, 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:14.960 for one thing, they have the largest eyes of any 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.240 land mammal on Earth. Each eye is roughly two inches across, 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.640 which means they're about as big as a billiard ball 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:24.280 and even larger than the bird's own brains. Ostriches also 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:27.200 have the largest eggs in the world, which I guess 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:29.359 an average one comes in at about six inches in 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:32.879 diameter and weighs more than three pounds, which is about 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:35.000 as much as two dozen chicken eggs. 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:39.439 Good lawyer, That is one big omelet. Also, though, like 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:41.919 people do eat them right like current Ostrich eggs a 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:42.840 delicacy in some. 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:46.040 Places, definitely, and a single egg provides quite a meal. 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:49.960 I think it's roughly two thousand calories, so basically a 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:50.800 day's worth. 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:52.399 Wow. 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.560 Well, I know there's at least one more giant bird 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:57.800 we wanted to cover today, But if you don't mind, 0:18:57.800 --> 0:19:01.360 there are a couple misconceptions about oscar that have always 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:03.480 bugged me, So I'd like to take a couple of 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:05.879 minutes to set the record straight on those. And actually 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:08.159 I want to start with the idea that ostriches bury 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:09.440 their heads in the sand. 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:13.080 Sure, so I remember this from mental class, but I 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:16.159 remember thinking it was just an illusion, right, Like, ostrich 0:19:16.200 --> 0:19:18.240 heads are pretty tiny compared to the rest of their bodies, 0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:20.719 so if you're looking at them at a distance and 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:23.280 they're like nibbling at food, it just might look like 0:19:23.280 --> 0:19:24.439 they're heads stuck in the ground. 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:28.639 Yeah, that's definitely true. But you know, actually, some researchers 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:30.879 think the real root of the myth has more to 0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:34.280 do with the nesting habits of ostriches. So the birds 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:37.040 they have to dig some pretty big holes to stow 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:40.040 those massive eggs you mentioned, and sometimes these holes are 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:43.200 up to eight feet wide and two feet deep. And 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:45.960 you know, it's during the egg incubation period where all 0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:50.040 the confusion comes in. Like ostrich parents take turns rotating 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:53.560 their eggs with their beaks, which you know obviously requires 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:56.080 them to stick their heads pretty far into the nest. 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:58.919 So you know, to an observer, it might look like 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:01.640 the ostriches bear its head in the sand, but that's 0:20:01.680 --> 0:20:03.080 actually not what's going on at all. 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:06.280