Birds with the Largest Wingspan
25 birds · 147–320 cm wingspan · 2.4–100.0 kg
Large wingspans are not exclusive to seabirds. Raptors such as the Andean Condor and several vulture species also develop enormous wings for soaring on thermal currents above mountains and plains. Pelicans, storks, and cranes round out the list with broad wings adapted for long-distance migration.
This ranking presents the birds with the widest measured wingspans in our database. Measurements come from field studies, museum specimens, and ornithological literature. Where a range is reported, we use the upper documented value.
How we ranked these
Ranked by maximum documented wingspan in centimeters. Measurements are based on field data, museum specimens, and peer-reviewed ornithological literature.
Albatrosses · Vulnerable
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, reaching up to 3.5 meters. These oceanic nomads can circumnavigate the globe, covering over 120,000 km per year using dynamic soari
Hawks, Eagles & Kites · Least Concern
The griffon vulture is one of Europe's largest flying birds and a crucial scavenger in Mediterranean ecosystems. These social birds nest in large cliff colonies and can soar for hours using thermals w
Cranes · Endangered
The red-crowned crane is one of the rarest crane species and a potent symbol of longevity and fidelity in East Asian culture. Their elaborate unison call and dancing displays have inspired art and fol
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ShoebillShoebill · Vulnerable
The shoebill is one of the most sought-after birds for birdwatchers visiting Africa, prized for its prehistoric appearance and massive bill. It can stand motionless for hours before collapsing forward
240 cm 5.5 kg Vulnerable 120 cm lengthSee details → -
Mute SwanDucks, Geese & Swans · Least Concern
The mute swan is one of the heaviest flying birds, with males weighing up to 14 kg. Despite its name, it is not truly mute, producing hissing, grunting, and snorting sounds. Mute swans form lifelong p
235 cm 11.0 kg Least Concern 152 cm lengthSee details → -
White-tailed EagleHawks, Eagles & Kites · Least Concern
The white-tailed eagle is Europe's largest eagle and the fourth-largest eagle in the world. Once extinct in Britain, it has been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland through conservation
225 cm 5.2 kg Least Concern 84 cm lengthSee details → -
Oriental StorkStorks · Endangered
The oriental stork is one of the most endangered stork species, with fewer than 3,000 individuals remaining in the wild. It was once widespread across East Asia but declined dramatically due to wetlan
220 cm 5.0 kg Endangered 115 cm lengthSee details → -
Golden EagleHawks, Eagles & Kites · Least Concern
The golden eagle is one of the most powerful and agile raptors in the Northern Hemisphere. Revered by many cultures, it has been used in falconry for centuries, particularly by Kazakh eagle hunters of
212 cm 4.0 kg Least Concern 81 cm lengthSee details → -
Secretary BirdSecretary Bird · Endangered
The secretary bird is the only raptor that hunts primarily on foot, striding through grasslands on crane-like legs up to 1.2 meters tall. Its name may derive from the crest feathers resembling quill p
210 cm 3.7 kg Endangered 130 cm lengthSee details → -
Bald EagleHawks, Eagles & Kites · Least Concern
The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States. Once endangered due to DDT pesticide use, it made a remarkable recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. T
203 cm 4.3 kg Least Concern 79 cm lengthSee details → -
Harpy EagleHawks, Eagles & Kites · Vulnerable
The harpy eagle is among the most powerful raptors in the world, with talons as large as a grizzly bear's claws. It is the national bird of Panama. Deforestation poses the greatest threat to this spec
200 cm 7.5 kg Vulnerable 100 cm lengthSee details → -
Common OstrichOstriches · Least Concern
The common ostrich is the world's largest living bird, standing up to 2.7 meters tall and weighing up to 145 kg. Despite being flightless, it is the fastest bird on land, sprinting at speeds up to 70
200 cm 100.0 kg Least Concern 210 cm lengthSee details → -
Black SwanDucks, Geese & Swans · Least Concern
The black swan was once considered impossible by Europeans who believed all swans were white, making it a famous philosophical example of inductive reasoning failure. It is the state emblem of Western
190 cm 6.2 kg Least Concern 130 cm lengthSee details → -
Great Blue HeronHerons & Egrets · Least Concern
The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable spee
183 cm 2.4 kg Least Concern 117 cm lengthSee details → -
Northern GannetGannets & Boobies · Least Concern
The northern gannet is a spectacular plunge-diver, folding its two-meter wingspan into an arrow shape to hit the water at up to 100 km/h. Air sacs under the skin and a reinforced skull protect it from
180 cm 3.0 kg Least Concern 93 cm lengthSee details → -
Demoiselle CraneCranes · Least Concern
The demoiselle crane is the smallest crane species but undertakes one of the most grueling migrations, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes over 8,000 meters to reach wintering grounds in India. Named
175 cm 2.5 kg Least Concern 90 cm lengthSee details → -
Eurasian Eagle-OwlTrue Owls · Least Concern
The Eurasian eagle-owl is one of the largest owl species in the world, with females sometimes reaching a wingspan of nearly two meters. Its deep booming call can be heard up to four kilometers away on
170 cm 2.8 kg Least Concern 68 cm lengthSee details → -
Greater FlamingoFlamingos · Least Concern
The greater flamingo is the most widespread flamingo species and one of the most recognizable birds in the world. Their pink color comes entirely from carotenoid pigments in their crustacean and algal
160 cm 3.5 kg Least Concern 130 cm lengthSee details → -
Indian PeafowlPheasants & Partridges · Least Concern
The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and one of the most spectacular birds in the world. The peacock's enormous train, which can span over two meters, is used in elaborate courtship displa
160 cm 5.0 kg Least Concern 195 cm lengthSee details → -
Andean CondorNew World Vultures & Condors · Vulnerable
The Andean Condor is one of the world's largest flying birds, with a massive 158 cm wingspan and weighing over 11 kg. It soars on thermal currents along the Andes, scavenging carcasses across vast ter
158 cm 11.3 kg VulnerableSee details → -
California CondorNew World Vultures & Condors · Critically Endangered
158 cm 9.3 kg Critically EndangeredSee details → -
Greater AdjutantStorks · Near Threatened
145–150 cm, wingspan 210–250 cm. Enormous; naked red head; huge ivory bill; large pendant neck pouch. Endangered; fewer than 1,000 birds remain in South and Southeast Asia. Breeds in Assam (India) and
152 cm 9.1 kg Near ThreatenedSee details → -
Bearded VultureHawks, Eagles & Kites · Near Threatened
The Bearded Vulture, or Lammergeier, is a spectacular high-mountain raptor found from the Pyrenees and Africa to Central and South Asia. Adults are orange-buff below, dark above, with a long diamond-s
152 cm 5.8 kg Near ThreatenedSee details → -
Himalayan GriffonHawks, Eagles & Kites · Near Threatened
152 cm 10.0 kg Near ThreatenedSee details → -
Cinereous VultureHawks, Eagles & Kites · Near Threatened
The Cinereous Vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus</em>), also known as the Black Vulture or Monk Vulture, is a very large Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles & Kites). It inhabits f
147 cm 9.6 kg Near ThreatenedSee details →