The Flightless Birds

While birds are known for taking flight into the sky, there are some that have never flown a day in their birdlife. These flightless birds have wings that protect them from the heat and cold and their wings also help them to maintain balance while running.

Image: The Greater Rhea

🐦 A lesser-known relative of the ostrich, the rhea is native to South America. Although related to the ostrich, the rhea is distinguishable by their 3-toed feet (ostrich have 2) and their brownish color.

Image: The Fantabulous Ostrich!

🐦 The ostrich is the largest and the heaviest bird alive. It can run up to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) an hour, making it a fast runner. This beautiful bird has big brown eyes and thick black lashes which are the envy of some women. As a matter of fact, the ostrich is said to have the largest eyes of any land animal, and they live in the grasslands of Africa. Oh, and, they have 3 stomachs.

Image: The Ever-Stylish Emu

🐦 The emu can be found all over Australia. It is the largest bird in Australia and the second largest in the world. The emu uses their wings to cool themselves down. And why not? Their feathers are soft and fluffy. In the wild, they can live p to 10-20 years.

Image: The Adorable Kiwi

🐦 The kiwi bird is a symbol of New Zealand. This small usually brown bird has a long, pointed bill with nostrils at the end that they used to sniff out bugs to eat. They’re the only bird in the world with nostrils at the end of its beak, and they have marrow in its bones like humans. Kiwis are mostly nocturnal.

Image: The Regal Cassowary

🐦 The cassowary is said to be shy and reclusive but can get dangerous when provoked. The female cassowary lays the eggs, but that’s about the only role they play in bringing up a family for they don’t stick around to sit on the eggs. It is the male that sits on the eggs for at least 50 days, and they refuse to leave the nest for nourishment. Once the babies are born, the father spends the next 9 months raising his chicks.

Here’s a video via Atherton Tablelands Birdwatchers’ Cabin of a dad cassowary and his chicks:

 

Images: Pinterest

Reference/s: Top Ten: Birds (book); britannica.com; YouTube

Related

The Anhinga

The Blood Pheasant

The Crane

The Duck

The Eagle

***GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPM are via Google Search (Right-click for original source)

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