ostriches and emus do not need to fly because although they feed and nest on the ground, their great size and their speed is their protection. some other ground-feeding birds have not been so lucky. some birds such as the dodo and the kiwi were ground-feeding birds that lived in safety on islands where there was nothing dangerous to eat them. they lost the power of flight. kiwis are endangered because european settlement to new zealand brought animals like cats, dogs and rats which kill kiwis and eat their eggs. however, kiwis and also the rare new zealand ground parrot have survived. in the case of dodos, they were fat and disgusting in taste. all the same, they were killed and eaten by sailors until there was none left. other flightless birds which have disappeared are the great auk and the moa.