flightless

[ flahyt-lis ]

adjective

1. incapable of flying:

   flightless birds such as the moa, rhea, and dodo.

flightless

/ ˈflaɪtlɪs /

adjective

1. (of certain birds and insects) unable to fly See also ratite

Word History and Origins

Origin of flightless¹

First recorded in 1870–75; flight ¹ + -less

Example Sentences

Giant flightless birds called mihirungs were the biggest birds to ever stride across what is now Australia.

From Science News

Strikingly, when Polynesian farmers encountered New Zealand’s abundant flightless birds, they largely abandoned agriculture, creating the Maori moa-hunter culture.

From Singularity Hub 

A flightless, juvenal female was obtained by local boys at Pisté on July 21.

From Project Gutenberg

The wekas or Maori hens are small, flightless birds, averaging when full grown about two and three-quarter pounds.

From Project Gutenberg

The Ratitae differ from Archaeopteryx and the great majority of Carinatae in being flightless.

From Project Gutenberg

In several instances I have treated of extinct flightless species under genera including existing species capable of flight.

From Project Gutenberg

This appears to have been a very large species, with not very great powers of flight, if not flightless.

From Project Gutenberg