One of the first things that come to mind when you think of a bird is that it has wings and can fly. Of course, not all birds have the ability to fly.
Penguins, rheas, ostriches, and emus are well-known examples of flightless birds, but there are several others, as per Bird Spot.
Many flightless birds went extinct years ago due to their inability to escape imported predators, but here are ten of the more unique birds that still live with their feet firmly planted on the ground.
People have wistfully watched birds take flight for millennia, feeling a little envious. But what about non-flying birds?
You'd think they'd be envious of their wild cousins, but these boys are just as fantastic in their own right, as per Britannica.
Atlantisia rogersi
The Inaccessible Island rail (Atlantisia rogersi) is the world's smallest flightless bird. It only lives on Inaccessible Island, which is part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.
The species was named for Henry Martyn Rogers, a missionary priest on Tristan Da Cunha who spotted the Inaccessible Island rail.
Penguins
Without the penguin, no list of flightless birds would be complete.
All 18 penguin species are unable to fly and are instead better adapted to swimming and diving, which they spend most of their time doing.
Because of their small legs and stocky stature, they move with a unique waddling gait. While most people identify penguins with Antarctica, the majority of species dwell at higher latitudes.
Some even live in temperate temperatures, while the Galapagos penguin may be found almost on the Equator.
These birds are also incredibly passionate. Penguins are generally monogamous and seek out the same mates season after season, even if there are hundreds or even thousands of birds in their colony.
Steamer ducks
Three of the four steamer duck species are flightless, but four of the four should not be tampered with.
Even among flighted species, some males are too hefty to accomplish liftoff.
These South American ducks got their name by dashing over water and thrashing their wings like steamboat wheels.
They also utilize them for various kinds of thrashing.
Steamer ducks are notoriously violent and have been known to engage in dramatic, bloody conflicts over territorial issues.
They have even been observed killing waterbirds numerous times their size.
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Galapagos cormorant
The flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi) is only one of the strange creatures that live on the islands.
It is the only cormorant found in the Galapagos, and it breeds in the coldest seas and nests on shingle or lava outcrops on two islands, Fernandina and Isabela.
The biggest member of the cormorant family and the only one that cannot fly is the flightless cormorant.
It resembles its relatives except that its wings are roughly one-third the size necessary for flight in relation to its body.
The keel on the breastbone, to which the major muscles required for flying are linked, is also significantly decreased.
Weka
Another New Zealand bird is the weka.
This brown, chicken-sized bird was a valuable resource for both native New Zealanders and European settlers, but its population is now declining.
Weka has a booming cry that males and females sing as a duet, despite their unimpressive appearance.
They are also known as cunning thieves, as they will steal food and little stuff that appeal to them and flee with them. Weka is also a good swimmer.
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