This article is going to discuss about the largest bird in the world, living and extinct both. The word small has been associated with birds for a long time but there are birds that cannot be called small, with some large enough even surpassing the size of the largest living man on earth. Birds can primarly be classified as the largest bird based on their length, height, weight and wingspan size. So when we classify birds as the largest bird in the world or the biggest bird in the world it is mainly based on its size and weight.
The Largest Bird in the World
Ostrich is the largest bird in the World with record setting height and weight:
- Height — more than 9 feet (2.7 meters)
- Weight — more than 345 lbs. (156 kg)
Ostrich is a large flightless bird, native to the continent of Africa and can be easily identified by its distinct appearance of long legs and neck. It is not only the largest bird in the world but also:
- The fastest running bird in the world with maximum speed of 60.6 mph (97.5 km/h)
- and lays the largest egg in the world weighing 3lbs. (1.4 kg)
Largest Bird in the World that have become Extinct
- Elephant bird, native to Madagascar, has been the largest bird in the world known to man through fossil record. It became extinct about 300 years ago. Its height was more than 10 feet (3 meters) and weighed more than 1,120 lbs. (500 kg).
- Giant Moa native to New Zealand was the tallest bird ever with a height of up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) and weighed 50% less than the elephant bird.
- Brontornis native to South America was the largest predatory and flightless bird with height of about 9 feet 2 inches (2.8 meters) and weighed about 770 to 880 lbs. (350 to 400 kg).
- Argentavis magnificens was the largest bird ever capable of flight with huge wingspan of about 28 feet (8.3 meters), length of more than 10 feet (3 meters) and weighed about 175 lbs. (80 kg).
More Facts about Ostrich
List of some Largest Bird in the World among the different Species
|
Birds |
Wingspan |
Length |
Weight |
|
Waterfowl (Trumpeter Swan) |
10 feet (3 meters) |
6 feet (1.82 meters) |
38 lbs. (17.3 kg) |
|
Swift & Allies |
– |
10 inches (25 cm) |
8 oz. (225 grams) |
|
Nightjars & allies |
– |
2 feet (60 cm) |
1.5 lbs. (680 grams) |
|
Shore Birds (Great Black-backed Gull) |
– |
34 inches (85 cm) |
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) |
|
Herons & allies (Andean Condor) |
10.7 feet (3.2 meters) |
– |
33 lbs. (15 kg) |
|
Mousebirds
|
– |
14 inches (35 cm) |
2 oz. (60 grams) |
|
Pigeons (Victoria Crowned Pigeon) |
– |
34 inches (85 cm) |
8.2 lbs. (3.7 kg) |
|
Kingfishers & allies (Southern Ground Hornbill) |
– |
4 feet (1.2 meters) |
13.5 lbs. (6 kg) |
|
Cuckoos & allies (Great Blue Turaco) |
– |
74 cm |
1.2 kg |
|
Birds of Prey (Eurasian Black Vulture) |
10 feet (3 meters) |
47 inches (119 cm) |
31 lbs. (14 kg) |
|
Gamebirds (Wild Turkey) |
– |
52 inches (130 cm) |
31 lbs. (14 kg) |
|
Loons (Yellow-billed Loon) |
– |
3.3 feet (1 meter) |
15.4 lbs. (7 kg) |
|
Cranes & allies (Great Bustard & Kori Bustard)
|
– |
5 feet (1.5 meter) |
46 lbs. (21 kg) |
|
Songbirds (Common Raven & Thick-billed Raven) |
– |
28 inches (70 cm) |
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) |
|
Cormorants & allies |
11.5 feet (3.5 meters) |
6 feet (1.82 meters) |
33 lbs. (15 kg) |
|
– |
5 feet (1.5meters) |
8.8 lbs. (4 kg) |
|
|
Woodpeckers & allies (Toco Toucan) |
– |
30 inches (75 cm) |
2.2lbs. (1 kg) |
|
– |
32 inches (80 cm) |
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) |
|
|
Tubenoses |
12 feet (3.63 meters) |
4.6 feet (1.44 meters) |
35 lbs. (13.8 kg) |
|
– |
4 feet (1.2 meters) |
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) |
|
|
Sandgrouse (Black-bellied Sandgrouse) |
– |
18 inches (45 cm) |
1.4 lbs. (634 grams) |
|
– |
4.3 feet (1.35 meters) |
102 lbs. (46 kg) |
|
|
Owls (Eurasian Eagle Owl & Blakiston’s Fish Owl) |
– |
32 inches (80 cm) |
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) |
|
Tinamous (Grey Tinamou) |
– |
22 inches (55 cm) |
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) |
|
Trogons (Resplendent Quetzal) |
– |
14 inches (35 cm) |
8 oz. (225 grams) |
When birds are classified largest according to the length, weight, height and wingspan separately then we will have different birds classified as the world’s largest bird according to that specific anatomy.
