flightless

American  

[flahyt-lis] / ˈflaɪt lɪs /

adjective

1. incapable of flying.

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

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flightless British  

/ ˈflaɪtlɪs /

adjective

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

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Etymology

Origin of flightless

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

Example Sentences

But almost three months after the procedure, which took up to 2.5 hours for each penguin, the aquatic flightless birds can see clearly now, with a noticeable increase in responsiveness and activity levels.

From BBC

In New Zealand, scientists had found flightless stoneflies on many different mountains, said Jon Waters, a professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand who is an author of the new paper.

From New York Times

Yet at least 67 percent of the island’s native bird species—once a diverse assemblage including colorful honeycreepers, crows and flightless waterfowl—have gone extinct.

From Scientific American

“In other words, Earth is a biogeographical island with respect to animals. They’re trapped, like a flightless bird on an island.”

From Science Magazine

Conservationists in Chile are reintroducing the rhea to its native Patagonia region, after the at-risk flightless bird was brought to near-extinction by illegal hunting.

From Reuters