Ostrich: Struthionidae - Diet

Ostriches are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their primary diet includes grasses, shrubs, seeds, roots, leaves, flowers and sometimes locusts and grasshoppers. However, they will on occasion eat small animals, such as lizards and mice, and animal remains. Ostriches also eat sand and small stones that help grind up food in their digestive systems. Their intestines are 46 feet (14 meters) long, allowing food to remain in their systems a long time in order to absorb a maximum amount of nutrients from their food.