Top 10 largest flying birds in the world

In the modern world, there are about 10 species of birds. They are: floating, flying, running, land. All are different in their weight, wingspan, height. There is no place left on our planet where there would be no birds.

In this article we will talk about the largest flying birds in the world. And also find out their weight, body length and wingspan and where they live.

10 Steller’s sea eagle

The weight: 7 kg.

Steller’s sea eagle – one of the largest birds on Earth. This is a bird of prey and it is considered the smartest on the planet. The genus hawk eagles includes eight species. The most famous are: Steller’s, bald and white-tailed eagle.

The weight of the Steller’s sea eagle is between seven and nine kilograms, making it the largest of its kind. Due to the considerable weight, he limited his time in flight. On average, it flies 25 minutes. Its wingspan during flight is 2-2,5 meters.

This bird has a varied menu, as it lives by the sea. He eats: salmon, newborn seals, or other delights in the form of rodents. According to the life expectancy, Steller’s sea eagles live about 18-23 years. The record was set by a bird that lived in the reserve under constant supervision, he lived for 54 years.

9. Berkut

The weight: 7 kg.

Berkut – bird of prey, one of the ten largest birds of the planet. Like the Steller’s sea eagle, it belongs to the hawk family. Interestingly, the female is much larger than the male and her weight reaches 7 kilograms. What can not be said about the male, his weight is 3-5 kilograms.

A feature of this bird is a large hook-shaped nose with a curved end down and more elongated feathers on the neck. The wings of the golden eagle are about 180-250 cm long, wide and have incredible strength.

This bird is located in Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Since the golden eagle is a bird of prey, it preys mainly on small animals: rodents, hares, squirrels, martens, hedgehogs, ground squirrels, Kharkiv and other small game. They can also eat larger animals, such as calves, sheep.

In terms of life expectancy, a bird lives for a long time from 45 to 67 years, there were examples when the golden eagle lived longer.

8. crowned eagle

The weight: 3-7 kg.

This bird living in Africa is also a predator. crowned eagle became the most dangerous among his fellow tribesmen. He is distinguished by strength, dexterity and cruelty. The crowned eagle is considered one of the most beautiful and graceful. Its weight is from 3 to 7 kilograms. As we have already found out, this is the average weight of eagles. The bird is so fast that its prey does not have time to escape.

The crowned eagle eats prey sometimes and 5 times its size, like antelope, large monkeys, hyraxes. It feeds exclusively in its nest.

The bird is quite large, powerful, its wings are long and strong, the span reaches two meters. A feature of this bird was a crown of feathers on its head. When the eagle is in danger or irritable, the crown rises and fluffs, which gives the eagle a vicious look.

7. Japanese crane

The weight: 8 kg.

A symbol of love, family happiness in many countries have become Japanese cranes. They received such associations thanks to their strong love, they remain faithful until the end of their days. Also for many, he is the personification of purity, tranquility and prosperity.

Everyone knows the Japanese story with a thousand paper cranes, according to legend, when you make them, your most cherished desire will come true. The habitat of these cranes is mainly Japan and the Far East.

The bird has become one of the largest, its weight is 8 kilograms. The plumage is mostly white, the neck is black with a longitudinal white stripe. The wingspan of the crane is 150-240 centimeters.

Cranes feed on swampy areas, where they find food in the form of frogs, lizards, small fish and various insects. The lifespan of this bird is different. In the natural habitat, it has several decades, but in captivity they can live up to 80 years.

6. Royal albatross

The weight: 8 kg.

A truly majestic bird, which has such a name for a reason. Also albatross became the largest bird, it has a weight of about 8 kilograms.

Its body is large, dense, the head is small compared to the body. The wings are pointed, they are quite large, strong and muscular. The wingspan is 280-330 centimeters.

They build their nests in the area of ​​Campbell, Chatham and Auckland Islands. The life expectancy of these birds is 58 years. Albatrosses feed mainly only on marine products: fish, crustaceans, molluscs and shrimps.

While walking, albatrosses stumble all the time for what they are considered clumsy and stupid, although in fact they are not.

5. Bustard

The weight: 8 kg.

Bustard called one of the heaviest flying birds. Their weight is amazing, the male grows to the size of a turkey and weighs from 8 to 16 kilograms. The female weighs half as much from 4 to 8 kilograms. A feature of the bustard was not only its large dimensions, but also its motley coloration and non-feathered paws.

The plumage of the bustard is very beautiful. It consists of red, black, with an admixture of white and ash-gray. Interestingly, their coloration does not depend on the season, but females repeat after males all the time.

The wingspan is 1,9-2,6 meters. Due to the large weight, the bustard takes off with heaviness, but flies quickly and confidently, stretching its neck and tucking its legs. The area of ​​residence is scattered over all corners of the Eurasian continent.

Birds have a varied diet. She can eat both animals and plants. From the plant world, the bustard loves: dandelions, clover, goatbeard, garden cabbage. The bustard cannot boast of a long lifespan; the maximum bustard can live is 28 years.

4. trumpeter swan

The weight: 8-14 kg.

This type of swan is the largest among the swans. Its weight ranges from 8 to 14 kilograms. Its coloring is no different from other swans, but it can be recognized by its black beak.

trumpeter swan located in the swamps in the taiga. We know that the swan spends most of its life in the water. He takes off with difficulty and then he needs to run up first. The wingspan is 210 centimeters.

The food of the trumpeter swan is no different from the others. It also feeds on plant foods. His preference is more: green stems of various aquatic plants, for example, lilies, algae. It can also consume insects, mollusks, larvae and small fish.

To get food, he dips only his head into the water. Thanks to its long neck, the swan can get food from the depths. Their average life span is 20 years.

3. snow vulture

The weight: 11 kg.

This bird is also called Himalayan vulture. They are among the largest and most predatory birds. The weight of the neck is 6-11 kilograms. Their distinguishing feature was the dark plumage and bare head, the neck is covered with a small amount of feathers. They have long and wide wings, the span of which is 310 centimeters.

A clear distinctive anatomical feature of the neck was a large volume of goiter and stomach. The vulture also differs in its nutrition – a scavenger. It feeds exclusively on the corpses of mammals, mostly ungulates. Vultures live on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. The species is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara.

2. Andean condor

The weight: 15 kg.

The largest member of the vulture family. His body weight is 15 kilograms. Because of its large wings, the span of which is 3 meters. This fact made the condor the largest bird of prey in the world.

They live long enough up to 50 years. These birds are located in the Andes. A feature of this bird has become a bald head, many consider it ugly. But this is a distinctive part in carrion birds. The condor feeds on birds and sometimes even the eggs of other birds. After a long fast, he can eat about 3 kilograms of meat.

1. Pink pelican

The weight: 15 kg.

A particularly beautiful bird. It differs from those listed above in its interesting pale pink shade of plumage. Pink pelican became one of the largest, the weight of the male is 15 kilograms, and the female is half as much. The wingspan is approximately 3,6 meters.

Its interesting flight lies in the deep wingspan, it tries to hover in the air for longer. A feature of the pink pelican was its long beak.

They feed on marine inhabitants, mainly large fish that they manage to catch. These birds are located in the area from the Danube to Mongolia. Unfortunately, the pink pelican is considered an endangered species and they are listed in the Red Book.