Flightless bird that require a significant amount of overall metabolic energy, ratites decrease their basal metabolic rate and conserve energy. A study looking at the basal rates of birds found a significant correlation between low basal rate and pectoral muscle mass in kiwis. On the contrary, flightless penguins exude an intermediate basal rate. This is likely because penguins have well-developed pectoral muscles for hunting and diving in the water. For ground feeding birds, a cursorial lifestyle is more economical and allows for easier access to dietary requirements. Flying birds have different wing and feather structures that make flying easier, while flightless birds'
Southern black tit Southern black tit The southern black tit or simply black tit ("Melaniparus niger") is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae, which is native to woodland habitats in southern Africa. It occurs chiefly in tropical and subtropical savanna woodland, in a semicircular arc from Angola to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It prefers woodland dominated by broad-leaved trees, most importantly miombo, "Combretum" species, and "Burkea africana". It is especially common in the woodlands of western Zimbabwe, where densities can reach as high as fifty birds per square kilometre. The southern black tit, unlike parids of the Northern Hemisphere