“once a living thing reaches about 35 lbs, it can not be a flying creature”
An interesting hypothesis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_birds#Table_of_heaviest_extant_bird_species
Domestic turkey/wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo avg 13.5kg (29.8lb) max 39kg (86lb)
I have to wonder?
Clearly Icarus and his father would have been over the weight limit?
Daedalus had incredible talent.
Those huge turkeys are likely the hybrids raised for meat. A friend had one that he kept for fly-tying feathers. A Broadbreasted Bronze. At two years old, it could barely walk much less fly.