Big Flightless Birds Come From High-Flying Ancestors We're sure glad ostriches and emus don't fly. ... they found that its closest relative was the kiwi, the little national bird of New Zealand.

Turns out the kiwi bird was never related to the emu after all. That's according to new research in Australia. Scientists have long thought the kiwi was a close relative to Australia's emu — a ...

The deadly ValuJet Airlines crash nearly two weeks ago has raised concerns about the safety of the host of low-cost, startup airlines that have filled the nation’s skies since the early 1990s… ...

Their walking habit is also much more energy efficient than flying. Kiwi birds do have a pair of tiny vestigial wings under their thick, fluffy feathers, but they don't function.

By Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) – They might be the odd couple of the bird world.Scientists on Thursday identified the closest relative of New Zealand’s famed kiwi, a shy chicken-sized ...

New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi, has won Forest & Bird’s title of Bird of the Year for 2009. In a flying finish, this earth-bound bird winged its way to victory with 1586 votes, only ...

The researchers compared elephant bird DNA to the other birds and saw a close genetic link to the kiwi despite obvious differences in size, body shape and lifestyle - and the fact they lived about ...

They found that when birds evolve from a flying ancestor to a new flightless form, the birds' bodies, including the ratio of their wings and tails, change before the feathers do.

These birds are part of a pattern that plays out across the world’s islands. Wherever predators are kept away by expanses of water, birds become flightless—quickly and repeatedly.

Scientists have identified the closest relative of New Zealand's famed kiwi, a shy chicken-sized flightless bird. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

The kiwi, New Zealand’s national bird, has seen a resurgence in numbers thanks to conservation efforts. In 2005, several kiwis were placed in the Maungatautari sanctuary in a last-ditch effort ...

"That's how the elephant bird actually got its name." The elephant bird couldn't fly and looked like an ostrich — except about 30 percent bigger. When Cooper's team compared the ancient bird's DNA to ...