Ostriches can be quite intimidating creatures, considering their imposing size. Not only can they move quickly, but most of them are also taller than humans when they’re fully grown. Still, they manage to have the most adorable babies.
Since adult ostriches are huge, it would make sense if baby ostriches weren’t all that small when they’re new to the world. But in reality, ostrich chicks look tiny next to their adult counterparts, and this video really proves it.
While visiting what appears to be a farm or a zoo, The Mueller Crew on TikTok shared footage of a baby ostrich she saw walking in the grass next to their mama. The chick is so tiny that it would be easy to miss seeing them — those little legs are working hard to keep up with their mom’s pace!
If you’re surprised to find out that baby ostriches are this small, you’re not the only one. The comments are flooded with people who never realized they’d be this little either.
“I thought the legs would be longer from the beginning. Like giraffes,” one commenter admitted.
Another wrote, “Not me thinking the big one was the baby because he was so tiny I couldn’t see him.”
If you want to see more of this sweet baby, The Mueller Crew shared another video of them taken the same day. How cute is this?!
Related: Ostrich Leading Giraffe on ‘Wild Goose Chase’ Totally Runs the Town
How Fast Do Baby Ostriches Grow?
This baby ostrich might look small in the video, but they won’t remain that tiny for long!
According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, ostrich chicks grow very fast. First, they incubate in their eggs for about 45 days, and when they hatch, they’re the size of a chicken — it seems big for a baby, but not compared to an adult ostrich!
Of course, ostriches start off their life in eggs, and those eggs are huge: six inches long and weigh up to three pounds each. Since an ostrich can lay seven to 10 eggs at a time, those nests can get very heavy.
Once the babies have hatched, ostrich chicks grow about one foot per month and will be considered fully grown by the time they’re six months old, though they won’t have reached reproductive maturity until they are about three or four years old.
To put it in perspective, an adult ostrich weighs between 200-300 pounds and can grow as tall as nine feet (though the Smithsonian notes that male ostriches do tend to be taller than females)… so imagine a chicken reaching that height and weight in six months! Talk about growing up fast.
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Jun 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.