ratite

Noun
  1. Flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches;
    Cassowaries;
    Emus;
    Moas;
    Rheas;
    Kiwis;
    Elephant birds (synset 101520206)
    is a type of: bird - warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
    subtypes:
    • ostrich, struthio camelus - fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet; largest living bird
    • cassowary - large black flightless bird of Australia and New Guinea having a horny head crest
    • dromaius novaehollandiae, emu, emu novaehollandiae - large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller
    • apteryx, kiwi - nocturnal flightless bird of New Zealand having a long neck and stout legs; only surviving representative of the order Apterygiformes
    • rhea, rhea americana - larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Brazil to Patagonia
    • nandu, pterocnemia pennata, rhea - smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Peru to Strait of Magellan
    • aepyornis, elephant bird - huge (to 9 ft.) extinct flightless bird of Madagascar
    • moa - extinct flightless bird of New Zealand
    same as: flightless bird, ratite bird

Found on Word Lists

Other Searches