Quck answer
The world is home to many fascinating birds of all shapes and sizes. Some of the largest birds in the world are impressive in their size and strength. Here are the 9 biggest birds in the world:
1. Ostrich – The ostrich is the largest bird in the world, standing up to 9 feet tall and weighing up to 320 pounds.
2. Emu – The emu is the second largest bird in the world and can grow up to 6.5 feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds.
3. Southern Cassowary – The southern cassowary is a large flightless bird that can grow up to 6.6 feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds.
4. Greater Rhea – The greater rhea is a flightless bird that can grow up to 5.2 feet tall and weigh up to 88 pounds.
5. Emperor Penguin – The emperor penguin is the largest of all penguin species and can grow up to 4 feet tall and weigh up to 88 pounds.
6. King Penguin – The king penguin is the second largest penguin species and can grow up to 3.3 feet tall and weigh up to 35 pounds.
7. Harpy Eagle – The harpy eagle is one of the largest birds of prey and can grow up to 3.3 feet tall with a wingspan of up to 7 feet.
8. Andean Condor – The Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds and can grow up to 4 feet tall with a wingspan of up to 10 feet.
9. Dalmatian Pelican – The Dalmatian pelican is the largest pelican species and can grow up to 6 feet tall with a wingspan of up to 11 feet.
Wildlife
An endangered Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) was spotted on Queensland’s Etty Bay beach, Australia. Tidewater Teddy/Shutterstock
With an estimated 18,000 species of birds worldwide, some are tiny, such as the bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) weighing around 1.7 grams. But, some birds weigh more than the American black bear (Ursus americanus). However, the smaller birds are better fliers than the larger ones.
Ancient Birds Were Bigger
As birds are the only remaining direct descendants of dinosaurs, it is difficult to determine the weight of fossilized birds, but their overall size can be estimated.
Approximately 80 million years ago, gigantic birds such as Gargantuavis philoinos roamed the earth, which stood 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) tall. Although it is uncertain whether G. philoinos could fly, it is known that the large birds like ostriches that live today have legs like a professional soccer player, and the ability to eviscerate a human with one powerful kick, which makes flying difficult.
Flightless Birds Are Larger
All birds have hollow bones to facilitate flight, but many birds have evolved to live on the ground. The largest flying bird is the wandering albatross, which weighs only about 26 pounds (12 kilograms) despite having a wingspan of more than 17 feet (5 meters). The Andean condor, which has an enormous wingspan, is not particularly heavy as it glides around on air currents. However, it helps flightless birds to be physically intimidating because life is not easy for them. Flightlessness has evolved more frequently in the past than currently, and scientists estimate that there would be four times as many flightless bird species on earth if humans had not been present.
Elephant birds (Aepyornis) were native to Madagascar and were the heaviest and tallest birds to have ever lived. They were similar to ostriches, but weighed 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) and were 10 feet (3 meters) tall. The elephant bird was more closely related to kiwis than ostriches and was hunted to extinction by humans by the 17th century.
Here are the top 9 heaviest birds in the world, starting with the largest bird, and surprisingly, all are ground-bound.
1. Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) — 344 pounds (157 kilograms)
A male common ostrich (Struthio camelus) surveys the scene in the Masai Mara in Kenya, Africa. Ryan M. Bolton/Shutterstock
The common ostrich is the largest bird in the world, weighing 344 pounds (157 kilograms) and standing at 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. Despite its weight, the common ostrich can run faster than humans, with top speeds of around 43 miles per hour (69 kilometers per hour), covering about 10 feet (3 meters) per stride, similar to a racehorse.
Common ostriches are originally from Africa, found in the southern region of the Sahara Desert. They primarily feed on plants, such as grass, roots, and succulents, but occasionally eat insects and small animals like frogs and mice. Their eggs are massive, weighing around 3 pounds each, which is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs.
Ostriches, emus, cassowaries, kiwis, and rheas belong to the group of large, flightless birds called ratites, which lack a keel that attaches flight muscles in other birds. The biggest of these birds are ostriches.
2. Somali Ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes — 287 pounds (130 kilograms)
The Somali ostrich is another species of ostrich that can be found in the Horn of Africa. It is commonly known as the blue-necked ostrich and is smaller than the common ostrich. Scientists believe that the two species were once a single species that separated through allopatric speciation, where they were geographically separated and evolved separately, resulting in two distinct species.
3. Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) — 187 pounds (85 kilograms)
The Southern cassowary is the third-largest bird in the world and is known to be the living bird that resembles a dinosaur the most. Loralya/Shutterstock
Among all the large birds, the cassowaries are some of the most impressive. The Southern cassowary, in particular, has sharp claws, a rhinoceros-like horn (called a casque), and blue and turquoise skin on its head, along with two red wattles at its throat. It is considered to be the living bird that resembles a dinosaur the most, standing at 5.5 feet tall. These birds can be found in northeastern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea and have a deep, booming call that can be heard from far away in the dense rainforest. They mainly feed on fruit, mushrooms, and insects, and are great swimmers due to their marshy habitat.
4. Northern Cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus) — 165 pounds (75 kilograms)
The Northern cassowary is slightly smaller than its Southern cousin but is still as impressive. It has a larger, flared casque, a single bright yellow or red wattle, and razor-sharp claws on both feet. Its call is low-frequency and rattling, similar to a gigantic boar oinking menacingly. This bird is found in low, marshy areas in northern New Guinea and some Indonesian islands and is the most threatened among all cassowary species due to their prized meat and eggs.
5. Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) — 154 pounds (70 kilograms)
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a flightless bird native to Australia that can survive without food for long periods. colacat/Shutterstock
Emus are native to Australia and are long-necked, flightless birds similar to ostriches. They are lighter and taller than cassowaries and can be found in forests, deserts, and scrublands. They feed on plant matter and can store fat when food is abundant. Although they can survive without food, they require daily access to fresh water, which makes them a pest to cattle and sheep farmers in some parts of Australia.
Female emus are larger than their male counterparts and can stand over 6 feet tall. Both males and females make low grunting booms that can be heard over long distances. The emperor penguin is the largest penguin and is flightless. They live in large groups on Antarctic ice sheets and are about 45 inches tall. Their impressive layer of fat, along with extremely dense feathers, keeps them warm in the icy landscape. During the winter months, males take care of the eggs in a pack while females go off to hunt. The greater rhea is native to South America and is smaller than emus and ostriches, standing at a little under 5 feet tall. They live in groups in the grasslands of Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, where they eat plant matter, as well as small animals and insects. The domestic turkey is the only bird on this list that could possibly fly, if it weren’t so fat. Wild turkeys can fly, but domestic turkeys have been commercially bred to put on huge amounts of weight in a short amount of time in order to feed people. The dwarf cassowary is the smallest cassowary species and is native to eastern Papua New Guinea. They stand between 39 and 53 inches tall and live in rocky mountainous terrain. Unlike their swamp-loving cousins, they also lack wattles but have colorful blue and red heads and necks, and a tall helmet-like casque. Ostriches don’t really hide their heads in the sand, but they do dig nests into the ground, and when potential predators approach, they’ll peek into the nest to check on their eggs. They also occasionally lie down with their necks flat on the ground to be less visible to predators.
FAQ
1. What is the largest bird in the world?
The largest bird in the world is the ostrich, which can grow up to 9 feet tall and weigh up to 350 pounds. They are flightless birds native to Africa and are known for their long necks and legs. Ostriches are also the fastest running birds, capable of reaching speeds of up to 43 miles per hour!
2. What is the heaviest bird in the world?
The heaviest bird in the world is the common ostrich, which can weigh up to 350 pounds. However, the heaviest flying bird is the kori bustard, a large bird native to Africa, which can weigh up to 42 pounds.
3. What is the wingspan of the Andean condor?
The Andean condor has the largest wingspan of any bird in the world, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are found in the Andes Mountains of South America and are known for their impressive size and strength.
4. What is the national bird of Australia?
The national bird of Australia is the emu. Emus are flightless birds native to Australia and are known for their long legs and necks. They can grow up to 6.5 feet tall and are the second-largest bird in the world after the ostrich.
5. What is the name of the largest bird of prey?
The largest bird of prey is the Andean condor. They are known for their impressive size and strength, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are found in the Andes Mountains of South America and are an important symbol in Inca mythology.
6. What is the name of the largest living bird by height?
The largest living bird by height is the ostrich. They can grow up to 9 feet tall and are native to Africa. Ostriches are also the fastest running birds, capable of reaching speeds of up to 43 miles per hour!
7. What is the name of the largest flightless bird in North America?
The largest flightless bird in North America is the American rhea, also known as the greater rhea. They are native to South America but have been introduced to North America as an exotic species. They can grow up to 5.5 feet tall and weigh up to 140 pounds.
Leave a Reply