This female common ostrich from Africa holds several records among birds: its height at six to nine feet, its weight at 220 to over 300 pounds, the largest vertebrate, the fastest at over 40 m.p.h., the largest eggs at almost six inches and the fewest toes at two. Yes, when threatened, they do lay their heads on the ground in an attempt to hide. But they hold their head high at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon.