(i) List out some flightless birds.
(ii) Describe briefly any four with their important features.
(iii) Write the name of any two extinct flightless birds.
(i) The flightless birds are ostrich, Rhea, kiwi, penguin, cassowary, emu, and Island Rail.
(ii) (a) Ostrich (Struthio) is the largest living flightless bird also called as Shutarmurg (in Hindi). It has largest eyes of any land animal. It swallows small stones to aid their 4 digestion of vegetable matter. It can run at the speed to 60 km/hr. Ostrich lays the largest egg produced by any living bird. It is commonly found in deserts of Africa and Arabia.
(b) Rhea is smaller than ostrich but similar to it in many habits. Its head and neck are
feathered not naked as in ostrich. It is found in South America.
© Emu (Dromaius) is the second largest living bird. It is confined to Australia.
(d) Kiwi (Apteryx) has most sensitive beak among birds. It can detect worms in the
ground. It lays largest egg in proportion to its own size. It is the New Zealand’s Emblem bird.
(iii) Extinct flightless birds are
(a) Dodo of Mauritius became extinct in 1681.
(b) Moais of New Zealand.