Top 10 Largest Living Birds in the World

When you see a big bird in the sky, you can say, “Hey.” Some giant birds can fly, some can’t. In either case, they are truly fantastic.

Check out the list of the world’s largest living birds.

10 Wandering Albatross

The wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird, ranging from 8.3 to 11 feet. The North and South Pacific Oceans are home to this majestic, giant bird. In total, there are 24 different species of albatross. The largest member of the family, the wandering albatross can weigh up to 12 kg.

The primary diet of wandering albatross is small fish and squid. They also consume a lot of salt water. Albatrosses spend most of their time floating on the surface of the sea and gliding on its winds. They are rarely encountered on land.

Nomadic albatrosses congregate in colonies on isolated islands during the breeding season. Once mated, they lay only one egg. Remarkably, the baby albatross will take to the skies for the first time in months.

9 Mute Swan

The mute swan is a large waterfowl that can reach a maximum length of 5 feet and weigh 12-13 kg. They are indigenous to the nations of Europe. The elegant Mute Swan with an “S” neck can fly eight feet. They feed on small fish, insects and aquatic plants. Mute swabs search for food faster under the surface of the water due to their long necks.

Swans are not very aggressive and intelligent. It is interesting that they can remember who took care of them. When they were breeding, the swans would fight and bite anyone who threatened them. Swans take good care of their nests, chicks and eggs. After mating, they often lay 5 or 6 eggs.

8 Dalmatian Pelican

The Dalmatian pelican is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. They are native to South Asia and Europe. This huge bird can reach a maximum length of 6 feet and weigh 12 to 14 kg. An adult Dalmatian pelican can reach a wingspan of up to nine feet. They look like great white pelicans. Dalmatian pelicans, however, are larger.

Dalmatian pelicans’ bills can grow up to eighteen inches in length. It is the second largest in the world. The topmost bird is the Australian pelican. The Dalmatian Pelican’s primary diet is fish. They eat 2 kilograms of fish per day. The Dalmatian pelican’s diet consists of European perch, eels and catfish.

7 Andean Condor

A member of the vulture family is the Andean condor. This giant bird is found in South America and along the Andes mountain range. They can reach a height of 1.2 meters and a weight of 15 kg. The ten-foot wingspan of the Andean condor is another indication of its size. Their huge bulk helps them to fly, as well as their wide wingspan.

Like other vultures, Andean condors consume the carcasses of other animals. Both indoors and outdoors. Dead seals and beach seafood are other favorites of Andean condors. They may search the nests of other birds for eggs. This 75-year-old member of the vulture species is endangered.

6 Kori Bustard

The world’s heaviest flying bird, the Cory Bustard, is native to Africa and can weigh up to 20 kg. A male Cory Bustard weighs twice as much as a female. This four-foot-tall bird has a wingspan of up to nine feet.

The Cory Bustard’s primary food source is insects. They also eat seeds, berries, snakes and lizards. The Cory Bustard, like other birds, uses suction to drink water. The Cory Bustard spends most of its time on the ground, usually in grasslands, where it forages for insects.

5 Greater Rhea

The largest bird in South America is the flightless great rhea. They can weigh up to 27 kg and measure 4.1 to 4.5 feet in length. Greater Rheas have large wings, though they are useless for flight. However, they use their large wings to balance their bodies while traveling. Their wings allow them to change direction while running.

Greater rheas are found mainly in swamps and grasslands. They eat small birds, lizards and insects. Like the ostrich, the large rhea uses its strong, long legs to defend itself from attackers. More than fifty eggs are found in one nest built by the female.

4 Emperor Penguin

The tallest and heaviest species of penguins are called emperor penguins. Only Antarctica is their home. Emperor penguins have a maximum height of 45 inches and a weight of 45 kg. They can dive to a depth of 1500 feet and cover up to 80 kilometers in search of food. The primary diet of emperor penguins includes fish, squid and krill.

Male emperor penguins tend to eggs recently deposited by females. Male penguins can live without food for more than two months during that time. Female penguins search for food in open water during that time. The female penguin collects food in her stomach and returns the swallowed food to the newly hatched babies.

3 Emu

The largest Australian featherless bird is the emu. They can weigh up to 60 kg and reach a maximum height of 6 feet. They are found in forests, savannas and other forests of Australia. Emus eat lizards, fruits, seeds and other insects as food. It is interesting to note that emus swallow their food by swallowing stones.

The emu can run at speeds of up to 50 km/h thanks to its long legs. In summer, emus establish pairs and in winter they breed. Their eggs can weigh up to a pound and are dark green in color. An emu’s nest often contains eight or ten eggs.

2 Southern Cassowary

The southern cassowary is the second largest bird in the world and lives in the tropical rainforests of Australia and Indonesia. This huge, black, flightless bird weighs 75 to 80 kg and stands 5.1 feet tall. They can reach 7.5 inches in length with their bills.

The three toes of the cassowary are strong and robust. Although they cannot fly, cassowaries can run at speeds of up to thirty miles per hour. The primary foods of the southern cassowary are insets, grasses, and fungi. The female bird lays eight to ten large, black eggs during the summer. Male birds spend more than fifty days incubating the eggs.

1 Ostrich

Ostrich is the largest living bird in the world. An adult ostrich can grow to a maximum height of 6 feet and weigh up to 150 kg. They also hold the record for the largest egg laid by a living bird and the fastest speed of any bird on land. Ostriches have powerful legs that allow them to run at speeds of up to 70 km per hour. Africa is home to the native flightless ostrich.

Ostriches mainly eat small insects, fruits, flowers, shrubs and seeds. In Jizerium, they also take stones to cook food. It is interesting to note that ostriches have gizzards that can carry up to 1.3 kg of sand and stones. Ostriches can also go long days without drinking.