THE FLIGHTLESS WING
Why ostriches can’t fly
HEAVY LIFTING
Ostriches are far too heavy for their small wings to generate enough lift to get them off the ground.
KEEL BONE
The keel bone sits at the mid-chest of the ostrich and is less pronounced than in birds that can fly. For those that can fly, the keel is the anchor for muscles used in flight.
DENSE STRUCTURE
Unlike flying birds’, ostrich bones are not light and hollow. Instead they are more dense and similar to human bones, encasing a tube of marrow.
FLUFFY FEATHERS
Unlike the durable feathers of flying birds, ostriches have soft downy feathers, better suited to retaining heat than flying.