#ratites

[snototter]

A male common ostrich (Struthio camelus) feeding in the rain in Cape Peninsula National Park, South Africa

by Bernard Dupont

[hasellia]

2026DrawDinoDaily, Day 81, Marchosauria, 21.03.2036

Elegant Crested Tinamou Eudromia elegans

Wah, not as happy with this one. Brain kinda melted today. Cute lil guys! They're ratites, so more Emu, Ostrich, Rhea or Cassowary than quail or partridge. Tinamous have basal characteristics of the ratite common ancestor, & indeed is the only ratite capable of (limited) powered flight. Strange that they radiated out from flying ancestors that all decided to stick to the ground, mostly independently. The only ones that are particularly close are the Emu & Cassowary ( to my knowledge, I could be wrong).

[bees-moth]

Everyone going on about King Orange being a duck dad, but that's the wrong bird for this situation. We need a Ratite, like this emu.

It's the males that pull parent detail, not the females. She lays the eggs, and then leaves him to it. He's the one that incubates and hatches out the eggs, and he's the one that protects and teaches the little ones. Father of the year award is not in it for ducks, it's instead for this walking feather duster, lol. Fun Fact: When the eggs are close to hatching, the father whistles to them to encourage them to hatch quicker. He will not whistle to them if danger is nearby. Furthermore, this is encouraged for humans to do so if they have orphaned emu eggs to hatch. The chicks will generally also whistle back while in their eggs as if to imitate their parent, and a healthy baby will cause the egg to rock in response to the whistling to try and shift into a suitable hatching position. Also fitting this image has seven chicks to count for Gold (RIP) and the six adopted child soldiers. King Emu. Kingmu. Just gonna pop that in as a tag in case this information catches on. I want Emu Dad art!

[antiqueanimals]

The Naturalist in La Plata. Written by W. H. Hudson. Illustration by Joseph Smit. 1922.

Internet Archive

[nightmaresyrup]

Emu chicks rolling around learning to walk are soooo cute! I forget they have vestigial wings, thus look like wiggly pears with legs! I'd like to Imagine moa birds did the same as chicks.

They grow up to look uhh, intimidating but still cute.

[ornithological]

emu (dromaius novaehollandiae), in captivity, ireland

[sanktpolypenbourg]

Ratites (what you'd think of as most of the fun flightless birds alive today, like the ostrich) are so quirky from an evolutionary perspective you can barely wrap your head around it

Losing flight is something all kinds of birds do whenever the environment allows for it, usually on small islands with no predators.

The thing with ratites is that you find them all over the world. Whenever you encounter a new two legged ground dino a solid first guess is that it's a ratite.

So at first scientists were like okay so no biggie, all those ostrich-type birds have a common ancestor who was already Like That before the continents divided. And those little tinamou birds that are like mini ostriches who can still fly are the "sister" group who retained flight all along. Easy peasy.

Right? Wrong, they did genetic testing on the fucking tinamous, and they are not a "sister" group, they are basically just another type of ratite who diverged along with the others.

And THAT means that. Different groups of ostrichoids all had their own flying ancestors.

And THAT means whenever a flying ratite arrives somewhere new, it immediately goes "I'm fucking tired, let me slip into something more comfortable" and by this I mean they drop their flying wings. UNLESS there is already ANOTHER flightless ratite there, that's kinda the only exception.

Not seagulls. Not crows. One or two parrots, one known pigeon. Rarely ducks (there were some giant ground ducks).

It's basically always the fucking ratites.

Working hypothesis is that of all the birds, they hate flying the most.

[panhead0422-blog]

In a vibrant expanse of lush greenery, an ostrich strides gracefully, its long legs moving with an elegant rhythm. The sunlight filters through the canopy above, casting playful shadows that dance upon its sleek, feathery body. Each step is a testament to its strong physique, as the bird navigates the bushy underbrush with poise and confidence.

Surrounded by blooming wildflowers and vibrant ferns, the ostrich's presence adds an air of majesty to the landscape. Its curious eyes scan the environment, showcasing a blend of alertness and tranquility. Occasionally, it pauses to nibble on tender leaves or peck at the ground, embodying a harmonious connection with nature. Nearby, the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves create a serene backdrop, enveloping this magnificent creature in a picturesque tableau of life and grace © 2025 By Chris Mercer All Rights Reserved https://pixels.com/profiles/chris-mercer https://www.viewbug.com/member/chrismercerimages Christopher Mercer Art - Fine Art America Christopher Mercer Art - Pixels https://www.etsy.com/shop/Panhead0422sPhotos?ref=profile_header Original File Name: Ostrich Walking in Greenery