The largest extant species of bird measured by mass is the common ostrich (Struthio camelus), closely followed by the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes). A male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 metres (9.2 feet) and weigh over 156.8 kg (346 lb),[1] A mass of 200 kg (440 lb) has been cited for the ostrich but no wild ostriches of this weight have been verified.[2] Ostrich eggs are the largest of any bird, averaging 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).[3]
The bird with the largest wingspan is the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) of the Sub-Antarctic oceans. The largest dimensions found in this species are an approximate head-to-tail length of 1.44 m (4.7 ft) and a wingspan of 3.65 m (12.0 ft).
Rank | Binomial name | Mass estimate
[kg (lb)] |
Family | Order | Geological age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aepyornis maximus | 850 kg (1,870 lb)[4][Note 1] | Aepyornithidae (greater elephant birds) | Aepyornithiformes (elephant birds) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
2 | Dromornis stirtoni | 800 kg (1,800 lb)[6][Note 2] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Miocene |
3 | Pachystruthio dmanisensis | 450 kg (990 lb)[7][Note 3] | Struthionidae | Struthioniformes (ostriches) | Early Pleistocene |
4 | Brontornis burmeisteri | 319 kg (703 lb)[9] | Brontornithidae (thunderbirds) | Anseriformes[Note 4](waterfowl) | Early Miocene |
5 | Pachystruthio indet | 300 kg (660 lb)[10] | Struthionidae | Struthioniformes (ostriches) | Early Pleistocene |
6 | Dromornis planei | 300 kg (660 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Middle Miocene |
7 | Genyornis newtoni | 275 kg (606 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Pleistocene |
8 | Struthio anderssoni | 270 kg (600 lb)[12] | Struthionidae | Struthioniformes (ostriches) | Late Pleistocene |
9 | Dromornis murrayi | 250 kg (550 lb)[13] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Oligocene-Early Miocene |
10 | Paraphysornis brasilienis | 240 kg (530 lb)[14] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Early Miocene |
11 | Aepyornis hildebrandti | 235 kg (518 lb)[4][Note 5] | Aepyornithidae (greater elephant birds) | Aepyornithiformes (elephant birds) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
12 | Dromornis australis | 220 kg (490 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Pliocene |
13 | Gastornis gigantea | 200 kg (440 lb)[11] | Gastornithidae | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Eocene |
14 | Dinornis sp. | 192 kg (423 lb)[15][Note 6] | Dinornithidae (giant moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
15 | Ilbandornis woodburnei | 175 kg (386 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Miocene |
16 | Devincenzia pozzi | 161 kg (355 lb)[17] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Neogene |
17 | Ilbandornis lawsoni | 150 kg (330 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Miocene |
18 | Titanis walleri | 150 kg (330 lb)[18] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Pliocene-Early Pleistocene |
19 | Gastornis parisiensis | 135 kg (298 lb)[19] | Gastornithidae | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Eocene |
20 | Gargantuavis philoinos | 120 kg (260 lb)[20] | Gargantuaviidae | Avialae | Late Cretaceous |
21 | Palaeeudyptes klekowskii | 116 kg (256 lb)[21] | Spheniscidae | Sphenisciformes (penguin) | Eocene |
23 | Kelenken guillermoi | 100 kg (220 lb)[22] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Middle Miocene |
24 | Phorusrhacos longissmus | 94 kg (207 lb)[9] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Miocene |
25 | Mullerornis modestus | 80 kg (180 lb)[4] | Mullerornithidae (lesser elephant birds) | Aepyornithiformes (elephant birds) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
26 | Pachyornis elephantopus | 80 kg (180 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
27 | Argentavis magnificens | 71 kg (157 lb)[24][Note 7] | Teratornithidae (teratorn) | Cathartiformes (New World vultures) | Miocene |
28 | Barawertornis tedfordi | 70 kg (150 lb)[11] | Dromornithidae (mihirungs) | Anseriformes (waterfowl) | Late Oligocene-Early Miocene |
29 | Mesembriornis incertus | 70 kg (150 lb)[25] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Pliocene |
30 | Pachyornis australis | 67 kg (148 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
31 | Emeus crassus | 58 kg (128 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
32 | Euryapteryx curtus | 47.5 kg (105 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
33 | Megalapteryx didinus | 40 kg (88 lb)[23] | Megalapterygidae (upland moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
34 | Anomalopteryx didiformis | 40 kg (88 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
35 | Sylviornis neocaledoniae | 30.5 kg (67 lb)[25] | Sylviornithidae (giant megapodes) | Galliformes (landfowl) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
36 | Eremopezus eocaenus | 30 kg (66 lb)[26] | Eremopezidae | Eocene | |
37 | Pezophaps solitaria | 28 kg (62 lb)[27][Note 8] | Columbidae | Columbiformes (doves and pigeons) | Holocene |
38 | Pachyornis geranoides | 27 kg (60 lb)[23] | Emeidae (lesser moa) | Dinornithiformes (moa) | Late Pleistocene-Holocene |
39 | Patagornis marshi | 23 kg (51 lb)[25] | Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) | Cariamiformes | Miocene |
40 | Pelagornis sandersi | 21.7 kg (48 lb)[28][Note 9] | Pelagornithidae | Odontopterygiformes (pseudotooth birds) | Oligocene |
The following table is a list of the heaviest extant bird species based on maximum reported or reliable mass, with the average weight is also given for comparison. These species are almost all flightless, having denser bones and heavier bodies. Flightless birds comprise less than 1% of all extant bird species.
Rank | Common name | Binomial Name | Average mass [kg (lb)] |
Maximum mass [kg (lb)] |
Average total length [cm (ft)] |
Flighted |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Common ostrich | Struthio camelus | 104 kg (229 lb)[1] | 156.8 kg (346 lb)[1] | 210 cm (6.9 ft)[29] | No |
2 | Somali ostrich | Struthio molybdophanes | 90 kg (200 lb)[1] | 130 kg (290 lb)[citation needed] | 200 cm (6.6 ft)[1] | No |
3 | Southern cassowary | Casuarius casuarius | 45 kg (99 lb)[1] | 85 kg (187 lb)[30] | 155 cm (5.09 ft)[1] | No |
4 | Northern cassowary | Casuarius unappendiculatus | 44 kg (97 lb)[1] | 75 kg (165 lb)[1] | 149 cm (4.89 ft)[29] | No |
5 | Emu | Dromaius novaehollandiae | 33 kg (73 lb)[1][31] | 70 kg (150 lb)[citation needed] | 153 cm (5.02 ft)[1] | No |
6 | Emperor penguin | Aptenodytes forsteri | 31.5 kg (69 lb)[29][32] | 46 kg (101 lb)[29] | 114 cm (3.74 ft)[29] | No |
7 | Greater rhea | Rhea americana | 23 kg (51 lb)[31] | 40 kg (88 lb)[29] | 134 cm (4.40 ft)[1] | No |
8 | Dwarf cassowary | Casuarius bennetti | 19.7 kg (43 lb)[1] | 34 kg (75 lb)[1] | 105 cm (3.44 ft)[citation needed] | No |
9 | Lesser rhea | Rhea pennata | 19.6 kg (43 lb)[1] | 28.6 kg (63 lb)[1] | 96 cm (3.15 ft)[29] | No |
10 | King penguin | Aptenodytes patagonicus | 13.6 kg (30 lb)[29][32] | 20 kg (44 lb)[33] | 92 cm (3.02 ft)[citation needed] | No |
11 | Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | 13.5 kg (30 lb)[34] | 39 kg (86 lb)[35] | 100–124.9 cm (3.28–4.10 ft)[citation needed] | Yes |
12 | Trumpeter swan | Cygnus buccinator | 12.7 kg (28 lb) | 17.2 kg (38 lb) | 138–165 cm (4.53–5.41 ft) | Yes |
13 | Wandering albatross | Diomedea exulans | 11.9 kg (26 lb) | 16.1 kg (35 lb)[36] | 107–135 cm (3.51–4.43 ft) | Yes |
14 | Mute swan | Cygnus olor | 11.87 kg (26.2 lb) | 23 kg (51 lb) | 100–130 cm (3.3–4.3 ft)[37] | Yes |
15 | Dalmatian pelican | Pelecanus crispus | 11.5 kg (25 lb) | 15 kg (33 lb)[citation needed] | 183 cm (6.00 ft)[citation needed] | Yes |
16 | Kori bustard | Ardeotis kori | 11.4 kg (25 lb)<ref. 0name= Handbook1/> | 20 kg (44 lb)[citation needed] | 150 cm (4.9 ft)[29] | Yes |
17 | Whooper swan | Cygnus cygnus | 11.4 kg (25 lb) | 15.5 kg (34 lb) | 140–165 cm (4.59–5.41 ft) | Yes |
18 | Andean condor | Vultur gryphus | 11.3 kg (25 lb)[37] | 14.9 kg (33 lb)[37] | 100–130 cm (3.3–4.3 ft)[37] | Yes |
19 | California condor | Gymnogyps californianus | 10.8 kg (24 lb)[citation needed] | 14.1 kg (31 lb)[38][39] | 109–140 cm (3.58–4.59 ft)[38] | Yes |
20 | Great bustard | Otis tarda | 10.6 kg (23 lb)[citation needed] | 21 kg (46 lb)[40] | 115 cm (3.77 ft)[citation needed] | Yes |