Birds are some of the most beautiful creatures on earth. They are fascinating, come in different colors, shapes, and sizes.
Of interest, today is their wingspan which is vital for birds, especially during migration. How long a wingspan helps the bird stay in the air longer and makes flying easier. Let’s look at some of the birds with the longest wingspan.
1. The Wandering/Snowy Albatross
Snowy albatross is a large sea bird from the family of Diomedeidae with habitats in the Southern Ocean.
This bird tops the list with the longest wingspan of any bird. These birds can live up to 60 years, and their length is 1.1-1.4m.
Being bad with the largest wingspan, it scratches up to 12.1 feet long.
2. Great White/Eastern Pelican
This bird is found in Southern East Europe, Asia, and Africa. Eastern pelican matures mature fast, and at 3-4 years, they have already reached sexual maturity.
These birds are elegant, soaring birds and can live up to 16 years old. Its length is 4.5-5.9 ft, and its wingspan is 12 ft long.
3. Andean Condor
Andean Condor bird is found in Southern America. It belongs to the vulture family Cathartidae and is the only living member of the genus vulture.
Its length is 3.2-4.2 feet with a wingspan of 10.2 feet. These birds weigh 15kgs at their heaviest and can live up to 50 years.
4. Marabou Stork
Marabou Storks birds are huge, long-legged, long-necked birds with a long bare throat sac. They are mostly found in Sub-saharan Africa.
Additionally, their habitat is grasslands, dry savannas, riverbanks, swamps, and lakeshores. Its length is 3.9-4.2 feet and has a wingspan of 10.1 feet long.
5. Whooper Swan
The whooper swan is a huge white swan. It has a long slim neck and black legs. You are likely to find them in Eurasia and the nearby Islands.
However, in winter, they migrate to Eastern Asia and Southern Europe.The length of this bird is 4.5-5.4 feet, and it spans its wings at 8.85 feet long.
6. Kori Bustard
The Kori bustard is known as the largest flying bird native to Africa. This bird is a ground-dwelling bird, and it’s an omnivore.
Its habitat is in dry grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. This bird can weigh 24-42 pounds and stand at 5 feet tall as adults. In addition, its wingspan is 8.85 feet long.
7. Whooping CraneÂ
The whooping crane originated in North America hence its scientific name Grus Americana.
It’s the tallest bird in the world which is 5ft and has a wingspan of 7.5ft. Today, only one species of this bird exists in the wild.
In addition, the bird breeding grounds are in Northern Canada and wintering grounds on the coast of Texas.
8. Great Egret
The Great Egret has breeding populations throughout the United States. However, this bird is mostly seen around fresh and saltwater marshes, marshy ponds, and tidal flats along the Atlantic coastline.
They are popularly known for the beautiful feather plume they develop during the breeding season. These birds have huge wings and are two times their body size.
Their length is 2.6-3.4 ft, and their wingspan is 4.3-5.6ft.
9. Great Blue HeronÂ
Although it has the name blue, this bird is blue-gray on its back and black gray and white striped underside. The bird mostly feeds on small fish and eats a variety of foods.
These birds are the largest Herons in North America. The length of these birds is 3.2-4-5 feet and has a wingspan of 5.5-6.6 feet.
10. European white storks
The habitat of these birds is in open wetlands, steppes, meadows, savanna, and agricultural fields in North Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Their large wings help them move during the summer to their breeding grounds in Europe and their wintering grounds in Uganda and Kenya.
European white stork’s length is 3.3-3.8 ft, and their gigantic wingspan is 5 feet long.
11. Limpkin
The Limpkin is a huge bird with a decurved beak that resembles the ibis. Limpkins are mostly found in Florida, Southern Mexico, and South America.
Their natural habitat is mostly in wooded and brushy freshwater marshes and swamps. In addition, they feed on freshwater mussels, frogs, crustaceans, insects, and snails. Its length is 25-29 inches, and its wingspan is 3.5 feet long.
Birds are such beautiful creatures. Mostly you see them fly but never know how long their wingspan is. So, next time you come across these birds, you will have an idea about their wingspans.
The dimension of stuff has been an interest of mine ever since I was a child. What I believe is most fascinating about the dimension of stuff is how extremely long, tall and wide some objects are both on earth and in the universe.