Why can't some birds fly? - Gillian Gibb
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Though the common ancestor of all modern birds could fly, many different bird species have independently lost their flight. Flight can have incredible benefits, especially for escaping predators, hunting and traveling long distances. But it also has high costs: consuming huge amounts of energy and limiting body size and weight. Gillian Gibb explores what makes birds give up the power of flight.
All evidence suggests birds have only evolved flight once. We find evidence for repeated loss of flight in birds, but no evidence that a flightless species has re-evolved flight. Why might gain of flight be so much rarer than flight loss?
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Gillian Gibb
- Director Anton Bogaty
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Animator Anton Bogaty
- Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
- Fact-Checker Francisco Diez
