UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew

Sense 1: ostrich

Semantic domains: Birds (001001002001005)

Core domains: Animal (010)

Definition: = large bird with underdeveloped wings so that itcannot fly; it has a long neck and long legs and is about 2 meters tall; its head and neck are almost bald, being covered in short bristles; the male's body is black with long white feathers on its wings; its tail is white, gray, or light brown; the females are a uniform grayish brown; they feed mainly on seeds, fallen fruit, and shoots and may occasionally eat a lizard or a frog; they live in small flocks of about twenty, of which four or five are males; as many as ten females may lay their eggs in the one nest, but only one female and one male will incubate the eggs, with the female on the nest in the daytime, and the male taking over later in the afternoon; male ostriches make a series of deep booming hoots that can be heard great distances and which are often mistaken for the roar of a lion; ◄ |iStruthio camelus; |i*≈ associated with heartless cruelty because most females do not hatch their own eggs and do not take care of their own young

Further resources: Fauna:3.16