science

Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand?


For centuries, people have claimed that, when faced with danger, ostriches (Struthio species) stick their heads in the sand to hide. This vivid image led to the popular phrase “bury your head in the sand” to describe when someone refuses to face their problems head-on.

This belief about ostriches may have been created by the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, also known as Gaius Plinius Secundus, who completed one of the earliest collections of encyclopedias according to ABC science. In Book 10 of “The Natural History,” he describes an ostrich hiding its head in the bushes to appear invisible.



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