flightless birds
Earthbound feathered creatures
Flightless birds are species that have lost the ability to fly, typically through evolution on islands or continents without land predators.
Their wings are often reduced or adapted for other purposes—penguins swim, ostriches run.
The group includes kiwis, emus, cassowaries, and the extinct dodo and moa.
Flightless birds evolved independently on several continents.
- ostrichLargest living bird
- emuFlightless Australian bird
- cassowaryLarge flightless Australian bird
- kakapoFlightless New Zealand parrot
- strong legsMuscular lower limbs
moa · elephant bird · frugivore · extinct · dodo · rhea · penguin · kiwi · New Zealand · great auk · feathers · waddle · island · natural predators · nest · grounded · heavy · ground dweller
- island wildlifemarine iguana, Darwin's finches, Galapagos tortoise, giant tortoise, giant tortoises
- island ecologyoceanic islands, endemic species, archipelago, archipelagos, atoll
- New Zealand Naturekiwi, kakapo, tuatara, kaka, weta
- animalscat, dog, bird, fish, cow
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- flightflying, fly, flight, aviation, aircraft
flightless birdseagles
Large predatory birds
swallows · albatrosses · falcons · hawks · swifts
flightless birdsalbatrosses
Largest flying ocean birds
frigatebirds · swifts · peregrine falcons · golden eagles · condors