Extinct birds

A closer look at extinct birds

Birds evolved within theropod dinosaurs. Early bird-like animals such as Archaeopteryx combined feathers with features unlike those of living birds, including teeth and a long bony tail. This directory follows the catalogue’s bird category without presenting a sharp boundary where the fossil evidence is more complicated.

Not every extinct bird is prehistoric. The flightless dodo lived on Mauritius into the seventeenth century. Compare its profile with the much older fossils here: extinction brings these animals together in the collection, but it does not mean they shared a time or habitat.

Were all extinct birds unable to fly?

No. Flightlessness describes birds such as the dodo, not the whole collection. Other birds had different flight adaptations, and even Archaeopteryx’s flying ability remains a subject of research. Check the evidence on each profile.

Further reading: Natural History Museum: The dodo bird · Natural History Museum: Archaeopteryx