History Main / FlyingFlightlessBird

* ''WesternAnimation/BumpInTheNight'': In one episode, when Bumpy and Squishy are chasing after a plucked turkey, they find it flying over their heads. Squishy protests the impossibility of this, even getting out the encyclopedia to prove to the turkey that he can't fly. The moment this sinks in, the bird falls out of the air.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': The music video "It'll be fine!" ends with Dawn's Piplup riding on Dawn's Togekiss so that they both can fly high into the sky.

* ''Anime/Pokemon'': The music video It'll be fine! ends with Dawn's Piplup riding on Dawn's Togekiss so that they both can fly high into the sky.

* A downplayed [[PteroSoarer pterosaur variant]] on this trope would be in the ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'' series, which featured ''Dimorphodons'' as the pterosaurian equivalent of an InstantMessengerPigeon, thus implying long-distance flying ability; later studies would uncover that ''Dimorphodon'' would likely have been about as good at flying as a chicken--that is to say, not very, due to its body being heavy and its wings being short. It still ''could'' fly, but likely only for short distances and in emergencies. This is justified due to [[ScienceMarchesOn science marching on]], as all this wasn't known at the time the books were published.

* ''Anime/Pokemon:'' The music video It'll be fine! ends with Dawn's Piplup riding on Dawn's Togekiss so that they both can fly high into the sky.

** Doduo and Dodrio are based off of an ostrich, which is known for not being able to fly. Nevertheless, the line is still able to learn the move Fly. Many of its Pokédex entries note that Doduo is a poor flier, but not that it can't fly ''at all''. Some of the 3D games have them achieve flight by running in place.

** Doduo and Dodrio are based off of an ostrich, which is known for not being able to fly. Its Pokedex entry in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' even says that it can't fly well. Nevertheless, it is still able to learn the move Fly. Some of the 3D games have them achieve this by running in place.

Contrast AcrophobicBird, for when birds who can fly don't fly for one reason or another.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has a scene in which Lisa opens the door of a penguin habitat that has been closed for repairs and discovers the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7VcEyuEEGk penguins flying]].
** In a much earlier episode back in season 6, when Bart's comet's shadow loomed over the Springfield zoo and over the penguin exhibit, the birds then took flight to escape.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BumpInTheNight'', when Bumpy and Squishy are chasing after a plucked turkey, they find it flying over their heads. Squishy protests the impossibility of this, even getting out the encyclopedia to prove to the turkey that he can't fly. The moment this sinks in, the bird falls out of the air.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge5CollisionCourse'' features "dino-birds" which are flying raptors. In real life, no dromaeosaurid is capable of flight, the smaller kinds being able to glide at best.

* ''VideoGame/ArkSurvivalEvolved'' has a downplayed pterosaur variant. The ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is shown to remain airborne constantly ([[GameplayAndStoryIntegration this is reflected]] by it's low stamina drain when you [[DomesticatedDinosaurs tame it]]) and never landing, however fossil evidence seems to indicate that it was much more terrestrial than other pterosaur groups and would likely only take flight to escape [[TyrannosaurusRex larger predators]].

Despite this, there are plenty of times in media in which a bird that shouldn't be able to fly actually does. It could be just one of its kind, or the entire breed. In any case, if you see any birds known to be unable to fly in any source of media showing the ability to fly, they belong on this list.

While not completely flightless, chickens may also count for this list too on account of how their ability to fly only gets them 10 feet off the ground. If the chickens can go any higher than that, they qualify.

* There are some birds that can be considered "semi-flightless"-- their wings and flight muscles have degenerated to the point that they are for all intents and purposes flightless, but they can still fly short distances if they absolutely have to. Examples include the Okinawa rail of Japan, the Laysan duck of Hawaii, the Zapata rail of Cuba and Steamer Ducks in Chile and Argentina.

* There are some birds that can be considered "semi-flightless"-- their wings and flight muscles have degenerated to the point that they are for all intents and purposes flightless, but they can still fly short distances if they absolutely have to. Examples include the Okinawa rail of Japan, the Laysan duck of Hawaii, and the Zapata rail of Cuba.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Joust}}'', one of the players' mounts is a flying ostrich.

* A plot point in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'' is the chickens trying to learn how to fly from a rooster named Rocky after Ginger saw him flying. [[spoiler:It turns out [[SubvertedTrope Rocky didn't actually fly]], he was just shot out of a cannon.]]

* Chickens. Domestic chickens are bred to have extremely large and dense breast and thigh muscles, which gives them a low power-to-weight ratio. As such their flying is more "energetic controlled falling", and a commonly quoted figure is that no domestic chicken can fly for much more than 100 metres at a time. The red junglefowl, the ancestor of the domestic chicken, is a much leaner bird and as such is a much more capable flier, and routinely nests in trees.

* Chickens. Domestic chickens are bred to have extremely large, dense breast and thigh muscles, which gives them a low power-to-weight ratio. As such their flying is more "energetic controlled falling", and a commonly quoted figure is that no domestic chicken can fly for much more than 100 metres at a time. The red junglefowl, the ancestor of the domestic chicken, is a much leaner bird and as such is a much more capable flier, and routinely nests in trees.

Not all birds possess the [[{{Flight}} ability to fly]]; in fact, there's a good number of birds who can't. The reasons vary between each flightless bird, but the most common reason is that their wings were [[WingsDoNothing not made for flying]].

* Chickens. Despite popular consensus being that they can't fly, they actually can, but only for short distances due to a short wings to heavy body size ratio--flight can be a tad strenuous for them.

* Sgt. Byrd from ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'' is a military penguin who has missiles strapped to him. He is also capable of flying be flapping his little penguin flippers. Handwaved by how he's trained by the hummingbirds to flap his flippers fast enough. This is later averted with the use of a jet-pack in ''VideoGame/SpyroAHerosTail''.

Despite this, the are plenty of times in media in which a bird that shouldn't be able to fly actually does. It could be just one of its kind, or the entire breed. In any case, if you see any birds known to be unable to fly in any source of media showing the ability to fly, they belong on this list.