flightless

Everyday

Flightless means not able to fly. It is used for birds and insects that have wings but cannot fly. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on birds and adaptation, flightless birds include the ostrich, emu, kiwi, penguin, cassowary and the extinct dodo; many live where there were few predators. Phrases: «a flightless bird», «flightless insects».

Examples

• The kiwi is a flightless bird from New Zealand. tree →
• Penguins are flightless, but they are great swimmers. tree →
• Ostriches are flightless and run very fast. tree →
• The dodo was a flightless bird that is now extinct. tree →
• Many flightless birds lived on islands with no predators. tree →
• Emus are flightless birds from Australia. tree →
• Some flightless insects, like fleas, jump instead. tree →

Note

Formed from «flight» + «-less». Flightless birds still have wings; they are just too small or the bird too heavy. Penguins use their wings as flippers for swimming.