The world’s largest flying bird
world’s largest raptor
largest bird ever
The world’s largest falcon
The world’s largest owl
The world’s largest flamingo
The world’s largest penguin
There are more than 10,000 species of birds worldwide, and they come in many shapes and sizes. In this article, however, we are interested in the largest living (alive but not extinct) bird species in the world. This list is based on and sorted by the quality of the birds.
The most massive bird in the world is the common ostrich (ostrich) lived on the plains of Africa and Arabia. Males can reach a height of 2.8 m (9.2 ft) and weigh more than 156 kg (344 lb). The bird with the largest wingspan is the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), found in sub-Antarctic waters. These birds can reach lengths of up to 1.44 meters (4.7 ft) from head to tail, with a recorded wingspan of 3.65 meters (12 ft).

The most massive bird in the world, the common ostrich.

Wandering albatross, the bird with the largest wingspan in the world
The world’s largest flying bird
by wingspan
The flying bird with the largest wingspan in the world is the Wandering Albatross, also known as the Snowy Albatross, White-winged Albatross or Goonie. As mentioned above, these birds have wingspans of up to 3.65 meters (12 feet). They can cover thousands of miles in a single trip with these massive wings.
Wandering albatrosses have been known to sometimes go a year or more without setting foot on the ground. However, they will land on the surface and feed on squid and fish.
by average weight
The heaviest flying bird is the great gray heron (dull egret). These birds can weigh up to 18 kg. Due to their weight, they are difficult to take off, in fact, they take off by running like an airplane taxis. They are found throughout southern Africa and are especially common in Botswana and Namibia.
Like most great bustards, the great gray bustard is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore.

Wandering albatross in flight

gray goose
world’s largest raptor
If you accept that the New World condor falls into the category of birds of prey – which most people do, then the largest bird of prey is the Andean condor (vulture) found in western South America. These birds can have a wingspan of up to 3.2 m (10 ft) and weigh up to 15 kg (33 lb).
In addition to the above, the next largest bird of prey is the gray vulture (formerly known as the black vulture). These vultures can weigh up to 14 kg (31 lb), reach a length of 1.2 m (3.9 ft), and have a wingspan of more than 3 m (10 ft). These scavengers were renamed to avoid confusion with the smaller and separate species known as the American black bald eagle.

Andean condor in flight

Gray Vulture in Flight (formerly Black Vulture)
largest bird ever
The largest bird in history was a bird like (pheasant) of Madagascar and is believed to have become extinct about 1,000 years ago. These birds can reach heights of more than 3 meters (9.8 ft) and weigh more than 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). The closest living relative of the elephant bird is the kiwi.

Illustration of the largest bird in history, Elephant Bird
The world’s largest falcon
The largest falcon in the world is the Gyrfalcon (Kestrel). Females are larger than males, weighing up to 2.1 kg (4.6 lb), with a wingspan of 1.6 m (5.2 ft) and a body length of 0.66 m (2.2 ft). These falcons are similar in size to most vultures, but are generally heavier overall.
Gyrfalcons breed in North American islands, Arctic coasts and tundra, and in Osiberia—they are mainly resident birds.

The largest falcon in the world, Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
The world’s largest owl
The world’s largest owl is between the Eurasian horned owl (swollen lymph nodes in the groin) and the endangered Blakiston fish owl (swollen lymph nodes in the groin) live on the coast of Japan and Russia. Both owls are similar in size, weighing up to 4.5 kg (9.9 lb), with a wingspan of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a body length of 0.75 m (2.5 ft).
The Eurasian eagle owl is not only the largest owl in the world, but also one of the most widespread in the world. It is estimated that as many as 2.5 million of these birds range across Europe and Asia, covering an area of about 32 million square kilometers (12 million square miles).

Eurasian eagle owl

Blakiston’s fish owl
The world’s largest flamingo
The largest flamingo in the world is the greater flamingo (Red Wing Anchovies). These flamingos are found throughout Eurasia and Asia and also One of the tallest flying birds in the world Typical heights are up to 1.53 m (5 ft) – only the tallest cranes are taller. Males have been recorded reaching heights of up to 1.87 m (6.1 ft) and weighing over 4.5 kg (10 lb). Like other flamingos, these birds have a relatively small wingspan of up to 1.65 m (5.4 ft).

The largest flamingo in the world, the greater flamingo
The world’s largest penguin
The largest penguin in the world is the emperor penguin (groin worm) throughout Antarctica. These penguins can reach a height of 1.35 m (4.4 ft) and a weight of 46 kg (101 lb). They are the tallest and heaviest penguins in the world, and like all other penguins, they are flightless.
Emperor penguins are the only penguins that breed during the Antarctic winter, trekking distances of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) across the ice to reach breeding colonies that house thousands of birds.

The largest penguin in the world, Emperor Penguin
you may also like
Expert Q&A
ask a question
Do you have a question on this topic that we haven’t answered yet? Submit below and one of our experts will reply as soon as possible.

I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.