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What is the largest flying bird alive today and the largest extinct flightless bird ever?

Paul Oram, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire
  • I believe the largest living flying bird (in terms of body weight) is the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) as seen in your local park.

    Max Wurr, Stanmore, UK
  • The largest (heaviest) flying bird today is the Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) of Africa, males weigh about 18kg, females about half that. The largest bird ever to fly were the Teratorns (a type of Condor), the largest of which, Argentavis magnificens, had a wingspan of 3 metres, and weighed 120kg. The heaviest extinct bird, for which there is conclusive evidence was the Elephant Bird (Diornis maximus) of Madagascar, weigiing kg, and up to 3 metres high (slightly shorter than some Neww Zealand Moas). Some new fossils of "Giant Emus"- which might be relatives of ducks and geese from Australia may be even bigger.

    David Godfrey, Dartford, UK
  • I believe that the largest living flying bird is the albatross and the largest non-flying bird was the, now extinct, Moa. I'm avoiding the argument put forward in "Jurassic Park" that considers dinosaurs to be birds, sort-of.

    David Cheater, Toronto, Canada
  • Albatrosses are acknowledged to have the largest wingspan but until every single one has been identified it will be impossible to pinpoint the largest of these. Likewise until every fossil has been unearthed and classified it will be impossible to give a definitive answer.

    Jack Hill, St Albans England
  • I believe that a species of moa in New Zealand was the largest extinct bird. There were a number of species, some no larger than turkeys.

    David Tossman, Auckland, New Zealand
  • I don't know about the extinct bird, but the Albatross is definitely our biggest bird.

    Peter Gander, Sawbridgeworth UK
  • It depends what you mean by 'largest'. The giant moa was the tallest of recorded birds, but Aepyornis maximus was the heaviest (large specimens are reputed to have weighed half a ton). They died out some time in the C16th. There are several species of albatross, the largest of which are the wandering albatross and royal albatross, which have wingspans of about 11-12 feet. Large males can weigh about 25lbs. By the way, fossil remains have been found of a bird of prey called Argentavis magnificens which had a wingspan of 25 feet and may have weighed up to 170lbs.

    Leo Hickey, Barking, UK
  • · It depends on what you mean by largest flying bird: longest wing span or heaviest? The greatest wingspan is generally attributed to the Wandering Albatross of the southern Oceans although the Royal Albatross is not far behind. Marabou Storks of sub-Saharan Africa are up there too. The heaviest flying bird is the Kori Bustard of Africa, males of which can scale 18 kg.

    Coracias Garrulus, Reykjavik Iceland
  • The largest extinct bird was either the Elephant Bird of Madagascar (Aepyornis maximus) or the biggest of the Australian dromornithids (Dromornis stirtoni). The Giant Moa is not a contender, sorry. Both were probably over 400 kg, but really nobody has worked out a way of accurately estimating the body weight of these giant extinct birds. They stood about a metre and a half tall, and could have stretched their necks up to three meters high.

    Mike Dickison, Durham, North Carolina
  • I thought the largest flying bird was the Harpy Eagle.

    Jacki, Shirley, USA
  • California condor.

    Norma Harvey, Seattle, USA
  • What about our mute swan here in the UK?

    Christa Bond, Wargrave
  • I saw about 6 large birds in my back yard. They looked like large turkeys with a red head. Are they dangerous to my small dog (11 lbs)?

    Judith Cramer, Phoenix, AZ, North america
  • The birds you saw were probably turkey buzzards. I think the biggest bird of flight today is the albatross..

    Matthew, Elmira USA
  • Largest Flying bird living: Wandering Albatros with a 3.63m wingspan. (Andean Condor is 3.2m) Largest and heaviest flying extinct bird: Argentavis Magnificens: 7m wingspan (and not 3m Godfrey) and 70/78kg (150/172lbs). Extinct flightless bird: Giant Moa, 3.7m high, 250kg(560lbs) and Madagascar's Elephant bird, 3m high for 500kg(1120lbs) The internet, what a great invention - You guys should use it more efficiently.

    Nico, Case-pilote Martinique
  • Elephant birds, native to Madagascar, have been the largest birds known to man through fossil record. It became extinct about 300 years ago. Their height was more than 10 feet (3 meters) and weighed more than 1,120 lbs. (500 kg). Read more about Largest Bird at

    Murad, Islamabad Pakistan
  • From all of the answers above, it seems as though no one knows for sure.

    EL3G, Philadelphia USA
  • The Chilean Condor is the biggest and and most majestic bird of today. It has a wing span of 12ft and weighs 24 to 3lbs, and flies at over 30,000ft.

    Juan Valdez, Huiquila, Chile
  • The Giant Teratorn is the biggest bird to have lived but that was around 6 million years ago. It was said to have a 23-25ft wingspan and would have looked similar to a Condor. It was discovered in Argentina. The biggest wingspan of any bird can be found on the Wondering Albatross, its around 12ft on the larger birds. The Andean Condor for comparison has a wingspan of around 10ft. The heaviest bird is of course the Ostrich which can weigh over 300lbs and the heaviest flying bird so the Kori Bustard which weighs up to 45lbs. Finally the largest ever flightless bird so far discovered in terms of height was the Giant Moa which stood up to 12ft tall. The largest in terms of weight was the Dromornis Stirtoni which weighed up to an astonishing 500lbs and stood around 10ft tall.

    Adam F, Crawley UK
  • The largest flying bird is the mute swan. It hasn't the biggest wing span and it isn't the heaviest, but it is the largest.

    Mike, Newport, Wales

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