Ratite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum and, lacking a strong anchor for their wing muscles, could not fly even were they to develop suitable wings. The name ratite comes from the Latin word for raft (ratis), because their breastbone looks like a raft.

The African Ostrich is the largest living ratite. Of the living species, the Australian emu is next in size, reaching up to 2 m (6.6 feet) tall. South America has two species of rhea, mid-sized, fast-running birds of the pampas. The smallest ratites are the five species of kiwi from New Zealand.

• ATTA: Ratite Production: Ostrich, Emu and Rhea - Introduction to ratite production as an alternative livestock enterprise, pasturing, and resources.
• Biosecurity and Disease Prevention for the Ratite Grower - Management techniques that can help reduce the likelihood of disease introduction and spread on the farm.
• Canadian Ratite Home Page - Access to bibliographic information on ratites, information on Canadian ratite organizations, and links to pages with information on ratites. Links to commercial pages are not provided.
• Kiwi - Information about conservation status. Includes a photo of a white individual of species Apteryx mantelli, the brown kiwi.
• Kiwi - Essay about this flightless bird.
• The Kiwi Bird Page - Information about the New Zealand kiwi bird (order Apterygiformes, including four living species: Apteryx mantelli, A. australis, A. oweni, and A. haasti).
• Kiwi Recovery Program - Extensive information and images. Includes species descriptions, cultural importance, life cycle, habitat, evolution, and conservation efforts. Written for a wide audience.
• Moa Central - Information on the moa, New Zealand's giant extinct bird.
• Order Struthioniformes - Introduction to the ratite taxonomic group, including ostriches, emus, cassowaries, and related flightless birds. Links to fact sheets and photos of individual species. From the Animal Diversity Web.
• Ratite Nutrition and Feeding - Recommendations for diets.
• Running Bird Ranch - Offering ostrich, emu, Caiques, and Jack Russell Terriers for sale. State of the art ratite and exotic facility. Located in Geneva, Florida, USA.
• SirLinksalot: Ostrich and Emu Links - Offers an introduction to the Ostrich and Emu along with news links and a directory to other information.
• USDA: Raising Emus and Ostriches - Introduction and extensive list of related links.