Titans Of The Sky : 15 Largest Birds In The World
Hello Readers, Today we will talk about “15 Largest Birds In The World”. Some of the world’s largest birds can stand taller than an NBA player and spread their wings broader than a king-sized bed. There are about 10,000 species of birds on Earth, and they come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny little hummingbird to the huge ostrich.
Here are 15 largest birds in the world.
EMU
Scientific Name: Dromaius novaehollandiae
Height: Up to 2 meters
Weight: Up to 70 kg
Speed: 48 km/h
Habitat/ Region: Australia
EMU is 2 meters tall and 70 kilograms. Emu’s scientific name is “Dromaius novaehollandiae”. Emu’s height up to 2 meters ( 6.2 feet ) and weight up to 70kg. Emu are also fast birds, capable of reaching 48 kilometres per hour while running. They use their three-toed feet and short wings to stay stable.
Greater Rhea
Scientific name: Rhea americana
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing)
Weight : Up to 30 kg
Family: Rheidae
Genus: Rhea
Height : 1.5 meters ( 5 Feet )
Speed : 40 k/h
Although these birds look like young ostriches, rhea are their South American cousins. Rhea, while being only about one-fifth the size of an adult ostrich, can weigh 66 pounds (30 kilograms) and grow to be 5 feet tall (1.5 meters). Rhea are flightless birds that, like ostriches, use their wings to balance themselves while sprinting at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Female rhea lay up to 40 eggs per breeding season, however males of the species indicate the eggs for roughly 30 days before they hatch.
Common Ostrich
Scientific name: Struthio Camelus
Family: Struthionidae
Kingdom: Animalia
Weight : Up to 130kg
Speed : 45 mph (72 k/h)
Height : Up to 2.7 meters
The common ostrich, scientifically known as Struthio camelus, is the world’s largest and heaviest bird. These amazing birds can reach heights of up to 9 feet (2.7 meters), with lengthy necks and legs. What distinguishes them is their exceptional running ability, reaching speeds of 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour). In addition to their height and speed, common ostriches are known for their omnivorous food as well as their curious and gregarious demeanor.
Kori Bustard
Mass: 5.5 – 19 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Scientific name: Ardeotis kori
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing) Encyclopedia of Life
Class: Aves
Family: Otididae
Genus: Ardeotis
Order: Otidiformes
The Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) is Africa’s largest flying bird and one of the heaviest flying living birds. It is a member of the bustard family, all of which are classified as Otidiformes and are only found in the Old World. Ardeotis is a large-bodied genus with four species. They weighing an average of 11.4 kg and measuring 150 cm long.
Trumpeter Swan
Mass: 9.5 – 14 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Scientific name: Cygnus buccinator
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cygnus
Kingdom: Animalia
Height : 6 Feet ( 1.8m )
Weight : 16 kg
The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the heaviest flying birds in the world. These trumpeter swan structure is beautiful and elegant. Trumpeter Swan is Pure white and Neck curved in a “C” shape. Trumpeter Swan’s Height up to 6 feet (1.8 m) and Weight’s up to 35 pounds (16 kg). The Trumpeter Swan found in Europe, Asia, and North America. Prefers lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. Trumpeter Swans belong to the Anatidae (Duck family).
California Condor
Scientific name: Gymnogyps californianus
Mass: 9 – 11 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Gymnogyps
Kingdom: Animalia
The California Condor is the largest bird in North America, with a wingspan of 3 meters (9.8 feet) and a weight of up to 12 kilograms (26.6 pounds). Their diet consists primarily of carrion, such as deer, cattle, sheep, rabbits, and rodents.
Eurasian Black Vulture
Mass: 7.5 – 14 kg (Female, Adult), 6.3 – 12 kg (Male, Adult)
Scientific name: Aegypius monachus
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing) Encyclopedia of Life
Family: Accipitridae
Class: Aves
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Accipitriformes
The cinereous vulture is a big raptor in the Accipitridae family that lives across much of temperate Eurasia. It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture, or Eurasian black vulture.
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Dalmatian Pelican
Mass: 9.5 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Scientific name: Pelecanus crispus
Family: Pelecanidae
Genus: Pelecanus
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Pelecaniformes
Wingspan: Rivaling those of albatrosses, up to 3.4 meters (11 ft)
Dalmatian pelicans are the heaviest and one of the largest flying birds on the planet. Dalmatian Pelican is 2 meters tall and 15 kilograms in weight. Dalmatian Pelican is 2m in height. It is often found in rivers, lakes, and estuaries in Southeastern Europe, Russia, India, and China. The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is native to Eurasia. They are sociable birds that live primarily in cluster foam.
Emperor Penguin
Height: 1.1 – 1.3 m (Adult)
Mass: 23 kg (Male, Adult, After the breeding season), 23 kg (Female, Adult, After the breeding season)
Scientific name: Aptenodytes forsteri
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population stable) Encyclopedia of Life
Lifespan: 15 – 20 years (In the wild)
Class: Aves
Domain: Eukaryota
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species. Its sole known habitat is Antarctica. Both male and female emperor penguins are flightless and homozygous in size and coloration to females, however they have different tasks during breeding season.
During the gloomy Antarctic winter, 100 male Emperor penguins band together for two months to protect their eggs from the freezing cold, while the female species hunt at sea. Males lose around half of their body weight during this time.
Harpy Eagle
Mass: 6 – 9 kg (Female), 4 – 5 kg (Male)
Scientific name: Harpia harpyja
Class: Aves
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Harpia; Vieillot, 1816
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Accipitriformes
Harpy Eagles are the world’s most powerful eagles, weighing 9 kg (19.8 lbs.) and having a wingspan of 2 meters (6.5 feet). Their wingspan is substantially shorter than that of other great birds since they must move in heavily forested areas. These raptors have extraordinarily long talons and a powerful grasp capable of breaking a human arm. The Harpy Eagle preys mostly on sloths, monkeys, and large birds.
Shoebill
Scientific name: Balaeniceps rex
Family: Balaenicipitidae
Weight : 4-7 kg (8.8-15.4 lb)
Genus: Balaeniceps; Gould, 1850
Height : Up to 110-152 cm (43-60 in)
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Pelecaniformes
The single shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex) is a large bird. It can reach a height of approximately 1.7 meters. Male species are often taller than females and have much longer bills. The entire shoebill is bluish-grey, with black-tipped and slaty feathers trimmed with green. Shoebills are predominantly carnivorous birds.
They are big in size and have massive beaks that allow them to hunt anything from water snakes to catfish, and occasionally even monitor lizards. They are Large, bulbous, and straw-colored with sporadic gray patterns, similar to a clog or shoe. The body is various shades of gray, with deeper hues on the head and wings.
Domestic Turkey
Lifespan: 10 years
Scientific name: Meleagris gallopavo f. domestica
Class: Aves
Domain: Eukaryota
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Meleagris
Domestic turkeys and wild turkeys are the same species, and they are native to North America. Domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo f. domesticus), unlike wild turkeys, are unable to fly due to selective breeding for their hefty weight. They are unable to fly due to their thick breast muscles, and their breast meat is white.
Andean Condor
Mass: 7.7 – 15 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Scientific name: Vultur gryphus
Class: Aves
Domain: Eukaryota
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Vultur; Linnaeus, 1758
Kingdom: Animalia
The Andean condor is the world’s largest raptor and has the second-largest wingspan of any bird, measuring over 10.5 feet (3.2 meters). Along with their amazing wingspan, these birds can soar up to 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above the Andes’ summits. Because of their enormous wingspan, these birds can easily travel along air currents without expelling much energy. Andean condors are a type of vulture that, like many vulture species, scavenges food from dying or deceased animals. A single meal contains approximately 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) of carrion (dead or decomposing flesh). The Andean condor has a long lifespan in the wild, lasting roughly 50 years, and up to 80 years in captivity.
Lesser Rhea
Scientific name: Rhea pennata
Mass: 20 kg Encyclopedia of Life
Conservation status: Least Concern (Population decreasing) Encyclopedia of Life
The smaller rhea (Rhea pennata) is around 1 meter tall and weighs roughly 25 kilos. It is predominantly found in South America. Lesser rheas live alone or in small groups, with males caring for their young.
Cassowary
Scientific name: Casuarius
Class: Aves
Genus: Casuarius; Brisson, 1760
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Casuariiformes
Phylum: Chordata
Southern cassowaries (Casurius curious) have dark glossy plumage and are huge. The southern cassowary bird is found in northeastern Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. It’s a big, flightless blackbird.
They are one of three cassowary species and go by the names double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary, and two-wattled cassowary. The southern cassowary, also known as the fourth-largest bird in the world, is regarded as the most hazardous bird in the world.
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Conclusion
Birds are a wonderful aspect of the world. As a result, we must all take appropriate action to help birds survive and prevent their extinction. Birds are essential to our environment and its maintenance, thus we must all protect them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who’s the tallest bird in the world?
Answer : Common ostrich is the Tallest extant birds in the world.
Q2. Which bird has largest wingspan ?
Answer: A wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tip to wing tip.
