The ten largest birds by maximum measured wingspan, from the soaring albatrosses of the Southern Ocean to the great bustards of the Eurasian steppe.
Quick answer: 1. Wandering Albatross, 2. Southern Royal Albatross, 3. Great White Pelican, 4. Tristan Albatross, 5. Andean Condor, 6. Northern Royal Albatross, 7. Dalmatian Pelican, 8. Amsterdam Albatross, 9. Eurasian Black Vulture, 10. Great Bustard.
These are the ten birds with the largest confirmed wingspans on record, spanning the great pelagics of the open ocean to the heaviest flying birds on land. The list is dominated by the albatross family — three species of Diomedea make the top five — reflecting their extraordinary adaptation for long-distance dynamic soaring. Wingspan is measured across the widest natural spread of the wings, tip to tip, from wild specimens or authoritative museum mounts. The largest flying bird ever confirmed, the wandering albatross, can span more than 3.6 metres — roughly the length of a small car.
The bird with the largest wingspan of any living species. Its extraordinary gliding ability lets it circumnavigate the Southern Ocean with minimal flapping, covering up to 900 km in a single day.
Nearly equal to the wandering albatross in size, the southern royal albatross breeds on subantarctic islands including Campbell Island and Macquarie Island.
The largest non-albatross bird by wingspan, and one of the heaviest flying birds. These pelicans are strong fliers that migrate in large V-formations across Africa, Europe, and Asia.
A critically endangered great albatross that breeds almost exclusively on Gough Island and Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic. Its wingspan is slightly smaller than the wandering and southern royal albatrosses.
The largest raptor by wingspan, and one of the heaviest flying birds on the planet. It soars on thermals along the Andes mountain range and is a national symbol in several South American countries.
Slightly smaller than its southern cousin, the northern royal albatross breeds almost exclusively on the Chatham Islands and the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand.
The largest of the pelicans by average mass, and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Its wingspan is slightly smaller than the great white pelican's.
One of the rarest and largest albatrosses, breeding only on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its population is critically endangered with fewer than 100 breeding pairs.
Also known as the cinereous vulture, it is one of the largest Old World vultures and the heaviest bird of prey in Eurasia.
One of the heaviest flying birds in the world, with males weighing up to 18 kg. Its wingspan is among the largest of any land bird, enabling it to sustain heavy flight.
| # | Name | Scientific Name | Family | Body Length | Mass | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wandering Albatross | Diomedea exulans | Diomedeidae | 107–135 cm | 6.5–11.9 kg | Southern Ocean |
| 2 | Southern Royal Albatross | Diomedea epomophora | Diomedeidae | 112–123 cm | 6.5–8.5 kg | Southern Ocean |
| 3 | Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Pelecanidae | 140–175 cm | 9–15 kg | Africa, Europe, Asia |
| 4 | Tristan Albatross | Diomedea dabbenena | Diomedeidae | 105–115 cm | 5.5–9.4 kg | South Atlantic Ocean |
| 5 | Andean Condor | Vultur gryphus | Cathartidae | 100–130 cm | 8–15 kg | Andes Mountains, South America |
| 6 | Northern Royal Albatross | Diomedea sanfordi | Diomedeidae | 107–122 cm | 6.2–8.2 kg | Southern Pacific Ocean |
| 7 | Dalmatian Pelican | Pelecanus crispus | Pelecanidae | 160–183 cm | 10–13 kg | Eastern Europe to Central Asia |
| 8 | Amsterdam Albatross | Diomedea amsterdamensis | Diomedeidae | 107–122 cm | 4.9–8.3 kg | Southern Indian Ocean |
| 9 | Eurasian Black Vulture | Aegypius monachus | Accipitridae | 98–120 cm | 7–14 kg | Southern Europe to East Asia |
| 10 | Great Bustard | Otis tarda | Otididae | 90–115 cm | 5–18 kg | Southern Europe to Central Asia |
Birds are ranked by maximum confirmed wingspan in centimetres. Measurements are drawn from Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW), ornithological field guides, and peer-reviewed maximum-length records. Only extant, flighted bird species are included; extinct species (e.g. Pelagornis, Argentavis) and flightless birds (e.g. ostrich, which has a larger wingspan but cannot fly) are excluded. Where a seabird species shows significant sexual dimorphism, the larger sex (usually female) is used for the maximum. Rank 1 is the largest wingspan.
The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) holds the record for the largest wingspan of any living bird, with confirmed measurements up to 366 cm (12 ft). An exceptionally large individual reported in 1965 was claimed at 376 cm but has not been independently verified.
The wandering albatross has the larger wingspan (up to 366 cm vs the Andean condor's 330 cm), but the condor is significantly heavier, with large males reaching 15 kg. The albatross is a lighter, more specialised glider adapted to oceanic winds.
The extinct Pelagornis sandersi, which lived 25-28 million years ago, had an estimated wingspan of 6.4 m (21 ft). The even larger Argentavis magnificens had a wingspan of roughly 7 m (23 ft). Both dwarf the modern wandering albatross.
The Andean condor has the larger wingspan at up to 330 cm, compared to the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) at up to 295 cm. However, the California condor has a longer history of conservation intervention and remains critically endangered.