Content
- Why are there birds that don't fly?
- General characteristics of flightless birds
- names of birds that do not fly
- Ostrich
- emu
- Kiwi
- Cassowary
- Penguin
- emu
- duck gray steam
- Campbell's Mallard
- Titicaca grebe
- Galapagos Cormorant
Are there birds that don't fly? The truth is, yes. For different adaptive reasons, some species have evolved leaving behind their ability to fly. We are talking about birds that are very different from each other, of different sizes and origins, which only have in common the fact that they do not fly.
In this PeritoAnimal article we will show you a list with the names of 10 flightless birds, but beyond that, we'll talk about the most notable features of each of them. Don't miss this article, keep reading to find out all about birds that can't fly!
Why are there birds that don't fly?
First, we must clarify that all non-flying bird species that exist today are descended from ancestral birds that had the ability to move through the air. Despite this, some causes, especially those related to survival, stimulated the adaptation of these species to develop the characteristics they currently have.
One of the reasons that motivated several species to abandon their ability to fly was the absence of predators in the middle. Little by little, flying became an infrequent and unnecessary activity, involving high energy expenditure. This explains why several of these species are endemic to islands far from the mainland, where predatory species of animals arrived.
other species developed a bigger size than they previously had in order to more easily capture the prey they found in their habitat. With the larger size, there is more weight, so flying has become a very complicated task for these birds. This is not to say that all non-flying birds in the world are large in size, as there are also some small ones.
Despite the large number of studies we can currently find, there is no unified consensus that can explain at what point in history these non-flying bird species left behind their ability to move through the air. It is estimated that this may have happened within the limits of the Cretaceous-Tertiary.
However, the discovery of fossils showed that, in the Miocene, many of today's species already showed characteristics similar to those we can observe today.
General characteristics of flightless birds
When we talk about birds that don't fly or ratite birds, it is important to know that each species has its own characteristics and particularities, however, there are some common traits that all non-flying birds share:
- The bodies are adapted to run and swim;
- the wing bones are smaller, massive and heavier who in flying birds;
- Do not feature the keel in the chest, a bone into which the muscles that allow flying birds to flap their wings are inserted;
- present plenty of feathers, as they do not need to lower their body weight.
Now that you know some of the most notable characteristics of flightless birds, it's time to talk about the most representative species.
names of birds that do not fly
Next, we'll show you a list with names of 10 flightless birds or, also known as ratite birds, in which we will also explain the most relevant characteristics of each of these species, and some curious facts that you will like to know about them:
Ostrich
We started our list of ratita birds with the ostrich (Struthio camelus), a runner bird that inhabits Africa. It is the largest and heaviest bird in the world, as it can reach 180 kilos. You should know that, given the inability to fly, the species has enormously developed speed when running, and can even reach 90 km/hour. During the race, the wings help to gain momentum, in addition to serving to stun predators with blows.
emu
O nandu-de-darwin or emu (American rhea or Rhea pentata) is a non-flying bird similar to the ostrich. It lives in South America and feeds on seeds, insects and various reptiles, including snakes. Like the ostrich, the nandu is an excellent runner as it reaches the 80 km/hour. The species finds it difficult to jump, but it develops very well in aquatic environments, as it is also a good swimmer.
Kiwi
We continue the list of birds that do not fly with the kiwi. Unlike its non-flying companions, like the nandu and the ostrich, the Kiwi (gender Apteryx) is a smaller bird, with the approximate size of a chicken. There are 5 species, all endemic to New Zealand. The kiwi has wings so small that they can hardly be seen, as they are hidden under the feathers. They are shy and nocturnal animals, and maintain an omnivorous diet.
Cassowary
Is called cassowary the genus of flightless birds that includes three different species. They are distributed across Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, where tropical forests and mangroves inhabit. The cassowaries weigh between 35 and 40 kilos, and have a blue or red coloration on the neck, contrasting with the rest of the black or dark brown plumage. They feed on insects, small animals and fruits that pick up from the ground.
Penguin
You penguins are birds belonging to the order Spheniciformes, which includes 18 species distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and the Galapagos Islands. They don't use their wings to fly, but they are excellent swimmers and they have a technique that allows them to gather air around their wing feathers to propel themselves out of the water when they urgently need to reach land.
emu
Continuing with the examples of ratite birds, we have to mention the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia and can reach the 50 kilos. The species has a long neck and small, undeveloped wings. The emu is an excellent runner, as its paws have only three toes adapted for this activity.
duck gray steam
Although most duck species fly, the duck gray steam (tachyeres pteners) is a non-flying bird that is distributed throughout South America, especially in the Tierra del Fuego area. These birds are excellent swimmers and spend most of their lives in the water, where they feed on fish and shellfish.
Campbell's Mallard
O mallard of Campbell (Anas Nesiotis) is an endemic bird of the Campbell Islands, a territory south of New Zealand, about which very little is known. The species is in critical extinction hazard due to natural phenomena that affect the island and the introduction of other species into its natural habitat, so it is estimated that only between 100 and 200 individuals.
Titicaca grebe
Another bird that does not fly is the titicaca grebes (Rollandia microptera), a species from Bolivia and Peru, where it inhabits not only Lake Titicaca, but also close to other rivers and lakes. The species has small wings, which do not allow flight, but this loon is a good swimmer and even flutters its wings when it runs.
Galapagos Cormorant
We've finished our list of birds that don't fly with the Galapagos cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), a bird that has lost the ability to fly. Your mating system is the polyandry, which means that a single female can reproduce with several males. They measure about 100 cm in height and weigh between 2.5 and 5 kg. They are black and brown animals, with a long beak and small wings.
