It's great to begin each week with a reader's question, and this week, Josh from California asks...
"I'm doing a report on how birds fly, but I learned that not all birds fly! I've seen an ostrich, but what other birds don't fly?"
There are more than 50 different species of flightless birds, and the ostrich is the largest of them. Other birds that don't fly include the emu, kiwis and all types of penguins, as well as a lot of rails - secretive types of wading birds. There are even some ducks and one parrot that don't fly! But these birds have developed strong legs, great camouflage and other tactics to survive. Unfortunately, they also face a lot of threats, and most flightless birds are threatened or endangered. But learning about them is the first step you can take to help!
Do you have a birding question? Submit it to Mailbag Monday!
Emu
Photo © Zemlinki!
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