In the world there are impressive animals for their abilities, but also for their dimensions. When you think of birds, do you imagine that they all have to be small so they can take flight?
Have you ever wondered which is the largest living bird in the world? Or which is the largest that ever lived? in the history? Then you can't miss this article on our site!
What is the largest flying bird in the world?
How tall do you think a bird should be to cross the sky? It is true that airplanes exist and that their dimensions do not prevent them from taking flight, but when it comes to animals, today the size is smaller.
The largest flying bird in the world is the traveling albatross (Diomedea exulans), because with outstretched wingsmeasures 3.5 meters from one wing to the other and is 1.5 meters high. The albatross is a marine life animal that can be found both in southern and tropical temperatures as well as in Antarctica. This bird is in danger of extinction.
The next largest bird is the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), which inhabits the summits of South America South, especially in the Andes mountain range. With open wings it reaches 3.3 meters and weighs up to 15 kilos. It is also in danger of extinction, mainly due to the loss of its habitat.
What is the heaviest flying bird in the world?
Now that you know which are the largest birds in terms of size, you should know the heaviest in the world. This is the Great Bustard (Otis tarda), an omnivorous species that inhabits Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its wingspan reaches 2.7 meters and it can weigh up to 18 kilos It prefers to live in the steppes and its diet of legumes, grains and herbs is joined by insects, chicks of birds, frogs and other vertebrates.
What is the largest bird in the world?
Now the traveling albatross, the Andean condor and the great bustard are among the largest and heaviest birds in the world, but only among the flying ones. Have you ever wondered which is the largest flightless bird? Find out now!
It's about the ostrich! The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the largest flightless bird on Earth, measuring up to 2.6-3 meters tall and weighing a surprising amount of 165 kilos! Can you imagine her trying to fly? The ostrich's wings are too small to allow it to rise into the air. However, the ostrich is not only the largest and heaviest bird in the world, but also the fastest, because although it cannot fly, it can reach up to 90 kilometers per hour when it comes to running.
The second heaviest flightless bird is held by the common rhea (Rhea americana), an ostrich-like bird that It lives in South America. She is also a runner and lives on the plains. The rhea measures 1.5 meters and weighs up to 35 kilos.
What is the largest bird in Spain?
In Spain there is also a large bird, the black vulture (Aegypius monachus), unique in its kind and one of the few species of vultures that inhabit Europe. With its wings spread, the black vulture measures 2.5 meters. This species feeds on carrion, but also on animals such as squirrels, lizards, turtles and others of a similar size.
Currently, the black vulture is in danger of extinction Its main threat is poisoning when it consumes carcasses of animals that have died from this cause, but also the indiscriminate felling of trees. The Spanish Society of Ornithology is one of the organizations that advocate for its conservation.
If you want to know more threatened birds to know how to help, don't miss this article on "The most endangered birds in Spain".
What is the biggest bird in history?
Now, all the birds we have talked about are alive today, but what about those that inhabited planet Earth thousands or millions of years ago? The truth is that, before the appearance of humanity, the world was full of large beings and birds were not excluded from this.
Today we know that the largest bird in the world that existed was the Pelagornis sandersi, whose remains were found in Argentina. From one wing to another was 7.5 meters long and, despite this great size, was able to flyThe fossil of this bird was discovered in 1983 and studies revealed that it hovered over the terrestrial skies 25 million years ago. Paleontologist Dan Ksepka assures that this species glided from great heights to take flight and fed on marine animals. The fossil remains are found in the Egidio Feruglio Paleontology Museum in Argentina.
The other large bird that stands out in the history of the planet for its weight was the Vorombe titan, a species endemic to Madagascar that It belonged to the group of so-called elephant birds. The fossils of this species come from the Quartan era. The specimen reached up to 650 kilos and was unable to fly.
What is the largest flying animal in history?
We have said that the largest bird in history was the Pelagornis sandersi, but was it really the largest flying animal? Nope! During the Upper Cretaceous there was a flying reptile that measured 12 to 16 meters long, being the largest animal that has ever crossed the sky. It is the Hatzegopteryx thambema, and was discovered in 2002 in Transylvania.
List of current giant birds
As a summary, we show below the list of the largest birds in the world, regardless of whether they can fly or not, with their corresponding size. It should be remembered that the length of a flying bird is always measured with its wings extended, from tip to tip, while the height of a non-flying bird is usually measured.
- Ostrich: up to 3 m tall
- Walking Albatross: up to 3.5 m wingspan
- Andean Condor: up to 3.3 m wingspan
- Great Bustard: up to 2.7 m wingspan
- Common Rhea: up to 1.5 m tall
