Birds are those creatures who provided human beings the idea of an airplane. There is a humongous number of big birds and today we are going to explore the top eleven biggest birds in the world. Some of them are flightless and some can fly. But almost all of them got some attributes which make them idiosyncratic creatures. Then again, there is a commonality among them which is almost all male birds are larger than females.
Biggest Birds in The World
Among the world’s biggest birds, some are flightless because of their heavyweight. Below are 11 of the biggest flightless birds in the world.
Ostrich (Struthio Camelus) – 156.8 Kg
They are also called the worlds fastest double-legged animal with an acute hearing & eyesight. besides, they consume shrubs, grass, fruits etc. Also, they lay the largest egg in the world which weighs 1.4 kg.
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius Casuarius) – 130 Kg
Among all the big birds, Southern Cassowary, also known as double-wattled cassowary/two wattled cassowary/ Australian Cassowary, is both the biggest extant Asian bird & the biggest extant Australian bird. They are mostly live in Indonesia’s, New Guinea’s and Northeastern Australia’s tropical rain forest.
They are black in color and flightless ratite bird but before aging, they are initially bright pea-green color. If the bird is provoked in any way by humans or dogs, they will kill them with their blade-like claws.
Emu (Dromaius Novaehollandiae) – 60 Kg
The second largest living flightless bird, after the Ostrich, Emu can cover up to 6.2 feet. Female emus are moderately larger than males. This one of the biggest birds in the world is endemic to Australia both inland & near the coast. They travel to long distances for finding new food sources in flocks. In addition to this, they are diurnal gregarious birls who can barely swim.
Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes Forsteri) – 45 Kg
Being endemic to Antartica, this kind of flightless penguins are the heaviest and tallest among all living penguins. Having a similar size and plumage, male and female emperor penguins look alike. a black dorsal side & head, a pale yellow breast, and yellow ear patches are their main characteristics. They can live up to 20 years whereas some can live longer for 50 years.
Female penguins lay one egg at once and both parents look after the chicks. Besides, their diet consists of small fishes such as krill, squid etc.
Greater Rhea (Rhea Americana) – 40 Kg
A flightless bird Greater Rhea is native to eastern South America where it is the largest bird and whose alternate names are Nandu, Ema, and grey/American/common rhea. They are found in grassland, savanna etc. Male rheas are bigger than females due to their longer neck & legs. Greater Rheas are usually silent except for the mating season. While being chased, they will fly in a meandering pattern.
Domesticated Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) – 39 Kg
Turkey is a very popular bird but many hardly know the fact that it’s one of the biggest flightless birds. Once a bird was imported through the country of Turkey to Europe which had no proper identity and related species, and so the English name ‘turkey’ was added to its name. It is a social bird which can apparently live in isolation. Also, it is used as food and its litter has been using as fuel in electric power plants.
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Darwin’s Rhea (Rhea Pennata) – 28.6 Kg
The flightless bird ‘Darwins Rhea’ which is alternatively known as the ‘Lesser Rhea’ lives in the Altiplano & Patagonia in South America. They occasionally feed on small animals such as lizard, beetle, nonetheless, they are herbivorous. They are usually silent & community-based birds.
King Penguin (Aptenodytes Patagonicus) – 18+ Kg
Right after emperor penguin, the king penguin is the second largest species of penguin. On the other side, it weighs almost same or somewhat higher than the largest living bird Great Bustard and the Kori Bustard weighs. They consume small fish such as squid, krill etc. Between male and female king penguin, males are slightly larger.
Having a prolonged breeding session, the serially monogamous king penguins can breed at the age of three and they stay faithful to their partner. The female penguin lays one pear-shaped white-colored egg which later turns into a cute little semi-altrical and nidicolous chick.
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus Buccinator) – 17.2 Kg
Another one of the biggest and also cutest birds we really love! Very few flying birds which are native to North America are as heavy as the Trumpeter Swan with a large wingspan exceeding 3 meters. By 2010, the population was 46000. At the time of breeding they habitat lakes, shallow ponds, wetlands etc. They feed on tiny fishes and their eggs, plants, insects amongst others.
Furthermore, they can have a lifespan to 33 years in captivity and in contrast, they can survive to at least 24 years in the wild. this bird is capable to fly and can easily be differentiated through its orange-colored bill & unique physical structure.
Andean Condor (Vulture Gryphus) – 15 Kg
The South American black vulture bird Andean Condor is the largest flying bird in the entire world because of its combined measurement of weight & wingspan. It has great significance because it is the national symbol of Colombia, Peru, Argentina and so on.
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Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus Crispus) – 15 Kg
An elegant soaring bird Dalmatian pelican is the world’s largest freshwater bird. Males are larger than females and fish is their main diet. They migrate short distance and usually prey on catfish, common rud, mullet amongst others. They are also noticeably appeared to have the largest wingspan among all the living birds which makes them extraordinary.
Hopefully, you have enjoyed the above list of the world’s biggest birds. Which one is your favorite? Share with us in the comment.