Modern birds are characterised by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton. All birds have forelimbs modified as wings and most can fly, with some exceptions including ratites, penguins, and a number of diverse endemic island species.
New Zealand’s moa was the only wingless bird ever known. The giant moa, one of eleven species of moa, was also the tallest known, standing up to 3 metres (9 feet). Many moa bones and skeletons have been found in small caves which the hapless moa fell into. Maori hunted moa, and it is believed the birds became extinct around 400 years ago.
The only known bird with no wings is the Moa, which has been extinct for several hundred years. Birds known as Ratites (ostrich, emu, kiwi, etc.) are just flightless. They do have wings, they're just too small for us to see unless it's just a skeleton.
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