The first impression of a bird is often the magnificent sight of soaring between the blue sky and spreading its wings. However, there are some birds in the world that, although they also have wings, are not able to fly. Here are ten flightless birds in the world, so let's take a look.
1. African ostriches
The African ostrich (scientific name: Struthio camelus) belongs to the ostrich family of the order Ostriches and is one of the largest birds on the planet, with adults reaching heights of up to 2.5 meters and males weighing up to a staggering 150 kilograms. They are athletic, like kings of the desert, and roam freely through the desert savannah and savanna regions of Africa.
The African ostrich has a distinctive physical feature, with a long, snake-like slender neck supporting a relatively small head. The head is characterized by a short, flat mouth made up of several sheaths that take on a triangular shape. Their keel process is underdeveloped, which is a significant reason why they are unable to fly. In addition, the African ostrich is the only known bird with the two-toed feature.
These ostriches usually live in the vast expanses of African desert meadows and savannas, and their unique appearance and behavior style are a unique sight in the region.
In addition to its unique appearance, the African ostrich is also economically valuable. Its feathers, leather, and meat are all favored by people, so it is widely bred and utilized in many countries.
2、鸸鹋
Emu, scientific name Dromaius novaehollandiae, is a special species of the family Ornithisidae. With a height of about 150 to 185 centimeters and a weight of between 30 and 45 kilograms, they are unique to Oceania and are known for their excellent running ability. As the second largest bird in the world, after the African ostrich, it is also known as the Australian ostrich.
Like other flightless birds, the emu's wings are more degraded, which makes them unable to fly. Compared to African ostriches and American ostriches, emu have more simplified wings. In addition, emus have three toes on their feet, which is one of the differences between them and other large birds. In addition, according to research, emus are one of the oldest birds in the world and have a long evolutionary history.
Due to their ease of keeping and adaptability, emus have been widely introduced to other countries and have established habitats in various places. In many zoos in China, visitors can see emus.
3. Great American ostrich
The great American ostrich (scientific name: Rhea americana) is a bird of the American ostrich family of the order American ostrich, with five subspecies. With a body height of about 1.6 meters and a weight of up to 25 kilograms, they are an important large bird species in South America. Also known as the three-toed ostrich, the Great American ostrich got its name from the fact that its feet have only three toes. Although they are not capable of flying, their wings are relatively well developed.
This sturdy bird is found mainly in the open forests, shrublands and grasslands of South America, and prefers to live in open areas. When the great American ostrich walks, it often closes its wings tightly and sways its neck, which is very interesting. When they start running, their strong feet can cover distances of more than 1 meter, and the wings of their backs are stretched out, and their heads and necks are bent down, giving them a spectacular and swift running spectacle.
4. Cassowary
Cassowary (scientific name: Casuarius), also known as crane ostrich, belongs to the order Crane Ostrichidae and the family of Crane Ostrichidae, with a total of 1 genus and 3 species. As the third largest bird in the world, the cassowary is second only to ostriches and emus, reaching heights of 1.5 to 1.8 meters in size, and some individuals can even reach 2 meters tall and weigh up to 60 kilograms. Known for their large size and ferocious aggressiveness, they are considered one of the most dangerous birds in the world and have few natural predators.
Cassowaries are mainly found on various Pacific islands, including New Guinea. Locally, they are known locally as "demonic" birds and are known for their aggressiveness and irritability. Cassowaries can run at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, and they also possess three dagger-sharp toes, a strong grip and the ability to leap up to 2 meters in the air, making them very threatening when hunting and defending.
5. Owl parrots
The Owl (Strigops habroptilus) is the only flightless parrot in the world and one of the largest. Mainly found in New Zealand, it is known for its unique courtship style.
Owls are used for courtship with a sound of up to 132 decibels, which travels a staggering distance. Their calls can travel at least 1 km in the dark of night, and up to 5 km at night when the wind and weather conditions are good. According to statistics, the average call of the owl is 8 hours, and it can make nearly a thousand calls in one night.
6. Penguins
Penguins (Spheniscidae), known as the "boat of the ocean", are one of the oldest migratory birds in the world. It is speculated that they may have made their home in Antarctica before Earth put on ice armor. There are 18 species of penguins in the world, most of which are found in the Southern Hemisphere.
Penguins live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere and belong to the order Penguin, the penguin family. They have a unique set of characteristics, including the inability to fly, their feet are born in the lowest part of their body, giving them an upright position, webbed between their toes, plantar (unlike other birds that land on their toes), fin-like forelimbs, a black back, and a white belly. Different species of penguins differ in the color of their heads and the size of their individuals.
These characteristics make penguins a very distinctive bird, and they are known for their unusual appearance and habits. Penguins live in the extreme environments of the Antarctic continent and have adapted to extremely cold climates and icy marine environments. They usually feed on fish and other marine organisms and are an integral part of the Antarctic ecosystem.
7. Peruvian grebe
The Peruvian grebe (scientific name: Podiceps taczanowskii) is a non-flying loon, mainly found in South America. They are characterized by a black head, a white neck, hemp back feathers, and wings, and their distinctive feature is a pair of bright red eyes.
The Peruvian grebe inhabits freshwater lakes and swamps, and spends almost its entire life cycle in the water, often in groups. Due to their poor flying, the Peruvian grebe relies mainly on its feet when swimming in the water and rarely walks on land. They are good at diving and foraging, and generally dive to a depth of only between 1 and 4 meters.
In terms of food, the Peruvian grebe feeds mainly on aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans, molluscs, small fish and aquatic weeds, among others, and their ability to catch prey underwater is excellent.
8. White-headed boat duck
The Oxyura leucocephala (scientific name: Oxyura leucocephala) is a social duck belonging to the duck family. They are mainly found in South America and are very similar to the grass geese of South America in some characteristics. The bald boat duck is a terrestrial bird that is good at diving and has basically lost the ability to fly, but uses its wings to help itself dive in the water.
Male bald boat ducks have a strong sense of territory and often feed on fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc.
The bald duck is the only species endemic to Argentina and is mainly found along the coastline, but is quite scarce. Their range is mainly concentrated in the province of Chubut, southern San Jorge and northern Santa Cruz.
9. Short-winged boat duck
The short-winged boat duck (scientific name: Tachyeres brachypterus) is about 65 centimeters long and is a flightless water duck. When they float on the water, their wings are round and swing like the paddles of a rowing boat, hence the name "boat ducks". The male short-winged boat duck has a white head and neck with a few brown and brown feathers.
Short-winged boat ducks are mainly found in the Falkland Islands, where they inhabit steep cliffs, seaside beaches and saltwater lakes. Their diet mainly consists of animal foods such as crustaceans, molluscs, shrimp, and small fish. Small flocks of a few to more than 20 can usually be seen foraging in shallow waters and on the surface of the water's edge.
10、鹬鸵
The sandpiper, also known as the kiwi or kiwi, is a species unique to New Zealand and the national bird and symbol of New Zealand. They are similar in size to ordinary roosters and, like ostriches, are unable to fly.
Sandpiper is known for its unique view of love. Among birds, they are representatives of the typical "monogamous" system. They have a lifespan of about 30 years, and if nothing happens, they will stay together for the rest of their lives until the end of their lives. If one party dies unexpectedly, the other will spend the rest of their lives alone.