There are many species of birds - large and small, flying and flightless. And once upon a time, very strange and unusual birds lived on Earth. In this post we will talk about the largest of birds.

The largest living bird in the world is, of course, African ostrich. The average height of an ostrich is 270 cm, and its weight is about 115 kg. But some representatives can be taller than 3 m and weigh more than 150 kg.

Ostrich

The ostrich is a flightless bird; it has small short wings, which it sometimes flaps to maintain balance while running. But the ostrich can run very fast - at a speed of about 70 km/h, and in a short distance it can accelerate to 90 km/h.

There are many interesting facts you can tell about ostriches.

Unlike most birds, the ostrich has only two toes on its feet. With its foot, an ostrich can deliver a very strong blow, dangerous to a person or a large predator.

Ostriches feed mainly on plant foods, but can also hunt insects, small rodents and lizards. To better digest food, the ostrich swallows stones and can go without water for quite a long time.

Ostriches have long been bred in captivity on special farms for their eggs, meat and feathers. For example, one ostrich egg can replace 25 chicken eggs. At the same time, some farmers successfully breed ostriches in Siberia, despite the fact that there are very severe frosts here. It would seem, how can an animal from Africa endure Siberian frosts? But it turns out that ostriches used to live not only in Africa, but also in Asia; the remains of wild ostriches were found in Transbaikalia.

An ostrich can easily carry a person; ostrich riding is one of the entertainments offered to tourists in Vietnam and other countries.

There are even ostrich races in the USA.

What is the largest flying bird in the world? Here you may encounter different answers, and all because there are many large flying birds, their average sizes and weights are close to each other, and among which species the largest individual individuals are found is not so easy to determine.

Most often called the largest flying bird African bustard. Large individuals can reach 20 kg. Of course, bustards are mostly ground birds, but they can still fly.

African Bustard

The African Bustard can fly

Here are other large flying birds.

Large flying bird with the largest wingspan - wandering albatross. This bird weighs up to 13 kg, and its wingspan can exceed 3.5 m. Albatrosses are perfectly adapted for flight; in search of prey, they easily travel thousands of kilometers over the open sea.

wandering albatross

The largest flying birds of prey are vultures and condors. They reach a weight of 14-15 kg, and their wingspan reaches 3 m. These birds prefer mountainous areas. Black vulture lives in Eurasia and Africa, including on the territory of Russia, and andean condor- In South America.

Black vulture

Andean condor

What about extinct birds? It turns out that quite recently, just some 200-300 years ago, truly gigantic birds lived on Earth. Huge birds that lived in New Zealand Moa reached a height of 3.6 m and weighed up to 250 kg.

Moa (reconstruction)

And even larger birds lived in Madagascar - Epiornis, reaching 5 m in height and weighing 500 kg. The egg of Epiornis (they can also be found in Madagascar) is about 7 times heavier than an ostrich egg.

Epiornis

Unfortunately, these huge birds became extinct due to hunting.

Finally, the largest flying bird that ever lived on Earth is considered giant teratorn, or argentavis, whose remains were found in Argentina. Perhaps this bird, which lived approximately 6-8 million years ago, was the ancestor of modern condors, but compared to them it was much larger. The wingspan of this bird reached 7 m, and its weight was 70-80 kg.

Giant teratorn (argentavis)

Surely, as a child you also read fairy tales of the 1000 and 1 nights. Scheherazade's fantasy would be the envy of the Hollywood screenwriters. Every night she told new story and it never happened again. Most likely, you did not remember all the stories, but one certainly should have been etched in your memory - the story of Sinbad the Sailor. There was a lot in it interesting details, but most memorable are the giant roc birds, who used elephants to feed their chicks.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), such “birds” are found only in the fairy tales of Scheherazade. Today there are no feathered creatures capable of lifting even a baby elephant. And even the largest bird in the world has much more modest dimensions. Of course, if you compare it with the legendary Rukh, or even better with the Hindu deity Garuda, capable of carrying the entire Earth on one wing. But still, who can be called the king of the sky today?

Eagle owl - silent killer

Legends attribute many bad properties to this bird: to see it is bad luck, and to hear it means great misfortune. And since his voice was loud, he promised trouble to many at once.

Are you starting to believe in omens?

But despite this, the eagle owl is a charming bird, with an expressive “face” and funny ears. But its size is quite impressive - the wingspan of some representatives can reach 2 meters. True, there is little weight in it; most of the volume is taken up by feathers. But if you see how it flies silently against the sky at night, you can really believe in omens. True, it promises misfortune only for all small living creatures: rodents, bats, hares.

Another thing is interesting: the eagle owl - perfect example adaptation. It can live both in dense forests and on the border of the Arctic Circle. There is only one thing he doesn’t like: the proximity of human habitation and the territories it has developed. Therefore for Lately The habitat of these amazing birds is rapidly shrinking.

Condor - the soul of the Andes

If you are wondering what is the largest flying bird, then here is the answer - the Andean condor. The wingspan of this giant is up to three meters. The weight is also impressive for a flying bird - about 12 kilograms.

Unfortunately, up close the birds do not look very attractive: they have bare heads covered in masses of skin, and the males have a massive crest on their heads. But when this large bird soars at an altitude of hundreds of meters, spreading its coal-black wings and only slightly moving the ends of its flight feathers... Such a sight cannot be forgotten.

Local farmers disliked condors and exterminated them, accusing them of stealing livestock. Apparently their ornithology was very bad. Firstly, these majestic birds are scavengers, and even a tasty kid is indifferent to them. Secondly, they cannot carry anything away due to the special structure of their paws, which are not capable of capturing and holding prey.

But the farmers had no problems with accuracy, and through their joint efforts the condors were brought to the brink of extinction. But now there are several programs in place to restore their numbers. For example, ornithologists turned into kidnappers, stealing eggs from nests. After this, upset females demolish another one to compensate for the loss. From stolen eggs, scientists raise young condors in captivity and then release them into the wild.

Let's hope that joint efforts will bear fruit, and real soul Andes will not disappear from them forever.

Ostriches are racing birds

If we talk about ostriches, then this is the largest bird. She has the largest eyes (of the land inhabitants) and eggs.

The weight of an adult male can reach 110 kilograms with a height of 2.3-2.5. No wonder the ostrich doesn't fly. But he runs excellently - at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. The eggs are also impressive, because their weight can reach one and a half kilograms (what scrambled eggs!). For comparison, the weight of an average chicken egg– 50 grams.

The impressive advantages of ostriches were quickly appreciated by people, and now they are actively raised on farms. Their meat is highly valued - lean, low in cholesterol. There is nothing to say about eggs - the shell is used in applied creativity, for the manufacture of souvenirs and interior items. Ostrich down and feathers have been valued for many years. Even leather is used for all kinds of haberdashery. Waste-free bird.

By the way, their relatives, cassowaries, are also record holders. This is the largest forest bird, which, although it does not fly, runs quickly and, if necessary, can show a good kick.

But compared to their extinct relatives, both ostriches and cassowaries are small birds. So their distant and, alas, extinct relatives - epionises reached 5 meters in height. The weight and character were appropriate. By the way, they became extinct not so long ago, only 4-5 thousand years ago, so they could well have become the prototype of those same elephant-eating birds.

Argentavis - a small bird

Its name can be literally translated as “majestic Argentine bird.” And it’s all true: he lived on the territory of modern Argentina, and it’s majestic. Just imagine a bird with a wingspan of 8 meters - majestic indeed.

And, unlike its condor successor, the Argentavi was a completely active predator. We love the maneuver - a dive from above and swallowing the prey (quite modest in size, but still) whole.

Truly majestic

But these creatures left the earth a very long time ago. On the one hand, it's a pity. Surely their flight was a magnificent spectacle. But on the other hand, you absolutely don’t want to get acquainted with a bird of prey the size of a small plane and the powerful beak of an ideal killer.

Smaller caliber birds

But to move a little away from such impressive sizes, we can also remember about small birds - hummingbirds. This order includes several hundred species, all of which have one thing in common: tiny size.

The smallest one, the bee hummingbird, weighs just over two grams. There are larger species, but they all resemble insects in size more than birds.

The amazing thing about them is the flight. Their wings are very short, but they move freely at the shoulder joint, due to which their ends describe a figure eight in flight. With their help, hummingbirds can hover motionless, and also fly not only forward, like normal birds, but also up, down, and back.

But most of all, people loved them for their sparkling multi-colored feathers. True, they fell in love primarily in the form of decorations, panels, fans and other cute trinkets. Because of this, even now several species of these crumbs remain in the Red Book.

In general, any bird, even a banal sparrow, is a beautiful and amazing creature. After all, they can fly.

The world of birds amazes with a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Among the representatives there are very tiny individuals, and real giants and heavyweights. Below is a list of the 15 largest birds in the world.

• Family: Accipitridae
• Order: Accipitridae

A bird of prey that feeds on salmon fish. Sometimes attacks young seals. In extreme cases, it satisfies hunger with carrion. The weight of the Steller's sea eagle reaches 9 kg and this greatly complicates its flights. Therefore, eagles have to nest near bodies of water, where they hunt for aquatic inhabitants. Another interesting fact is that eagles are fickle by nature. They form pairs, but can mate with different members of the species. But they jealously protect their chicks and remember them for many years.

Habitat: Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Shantar Islands, Kuril Islands. They are found on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and in the Koryak Highlands.

The Steller's sea eagle is listed in the Red Book and is under protection.

• Family: Cranes
• Order: Crane-like

It is believed that the crane family formed during the period of dinosaurs. The largest representative is the Indian crane. The height of the Indian crane can reach 1.75 m. It is the tallest flying bird in the world. The Japanese crane is the heaviest. Its weight is 12 kg. The plumage of Japanese cranes is bright white, only the neck and lower parts of the wings are painted black. The coloring of males and females is no different.

They live on Far East and in Japan. Red-crowned cranes are divided into two types: “island” and “mainland”. The former settle on the island of Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands, the latter in the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, as well as along the border of Mongolia and China. Nests are built near bodies of water, in swampy areas where there is sedge and reeds.

Currently Japanese look The cranes are endangered and are under protection.

• Family: Accipitridae
• Order: Falconiformes

This is one of the largest birds of prey. Prefers mountain slopes and hills untouched by humans. They are found especially often along the banks of lakes and rivers.

The size and weight of vultures varies depending on their habitat. And these are Southern Europe, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Vultures do not show any interest in animals, only in corpses, because... These birds are scavengers.

Black vultures are faithful to their mate and their families often live separately, away from other individuals. Nests are built in the crowns of trees. Average duration life - 40 years.
The largest bar weight is 14 kg.

• Squad: Carnivores
• Family: American vultures
• Body weight: 14 kg.
• Body length: 140 cm.

Condors have bright, distinctive plumage. Their body is covered with black feathers and there are feathers on their necks. white, they are also present at the tips of the wings. The head of males is crowned with a crest. The powerful beak serves as a weapon and a kind of “carving knife”. The paws are not adapted for fighting and perform exclusively a motor function.

The condor is a scavenger. It feeds on cattle, deer and goats. Sometimes it destroys the nests of other birds, remaining unpunished. It should be noted that the condor is a real glutton. There are often cases when, due to the large amount of food eaten, a bird cannot take off.

Settles high in the mountains. Very rarely found on plains and savannas. Habitat: South America, Andes.

• Family: Pelicanaceae
• Body length:180 cm.

It got its name because of the unusual feathers on its head that resemble curls. It has the longest body (180 cm) and the second largest beak (0.5 m).

Prefers to eat fish: bream, perch, silver bream. The pelican swallows its prey whole, giving the stomach the opportunity to digest everything on its own. It flies rarely - its large size does not allow it to stay in the air for too long. But pelicans love water very much and spend most of their lives in reservoirs.

Habitat: Ciscaucasia, Kalmykia.

These birds are also listed in the Red Book. Hunting them is prohibited.

• Order: Shearwaters
• Family: Albotrosaceae
• Body weight: 16 kg.
• Flight speed: 50-80 km/h.

Albatrosses are large flying birds. Able long time is in the air, floating. Very hardy, fly around Earth in forty-six days.

The coloring consists of white feathers and black patches along the edges of the wings and on the lower part of the body. But only adults look like this. The young acquire the appropriate plumage four years after birth.

Almost the entire life of the wandering albatross is spent above sea waters. The only exceptions are during nesting periods. Albatrosses create nests in their homeland - on the islands of the southern hemisphere. A partner is chosen once and for life.

They feed on sea inhabitants, and sometimes do not disdain carrion.

Habitat: the entire globe.

• Order: Penguin-like
• Family: Penguins
• Body weight: 16 kg.
• Body length: 1 m.

The king penguin is very similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. The differences are expressed only in size, weight and brightness of color.

King penguins do not pose a threat to humans and are willing to make contact. They feed mainly on marine life: plankton, crustaceans and fish.

They nest in colonies. Sometimes conflicts arise over territory. A quarrel between two males can also break out over a female. And only after clarifying the relationship, the female chooses a suitable male. After the mating dance, she lays one egg, which is cared for by both parents.

King penguins live on the nearby islands of Antarctica.

• Family: Bustards
• Order: Crane-like
• Body length: 1 meter

The bustard is a beautiful bird and one of the largest representatives of the class. The weight of the bustard is 16 kg. This bird can fly, but most often moves on the ground. This is facilitated by strong paws that do not have feathers. Distinctive feature bustard - the absence of the coccygeal gland, responsible for the production of fatty lubricant for plumage.

Lives in steppe zones, plains and meadows. It nests in places with dense vegetation. Can be found in North Africa, Eurasia, in the territory from the Pyrenees to Mongolia.

Bustard is omnivorous. It feeds on both vegetation and animals. Due to the brown color, it skillfully camouflages itself, which helps the bird in case of danger.

7. Mute swan

• Family: Ducks
• Order: Anseriformes
• Body weight: 22 kg
• Body length: 2.5m

Belongs to the duck family and is its largest representative. The weight can reach up to 22 kg. On this moment The mute swan is under protection because illegal hunting led to the extinction of most representatives of this species. Mutes can be found in artificial reservoirs. They feel comfortable in captivity.

The plumage is snow-white. The whiteness is diluted only by the bright red beak. It feeds on vegetation: algae, roots. Everything that is found on the water and under the water.

This is a migratory bird that lives in Russia, Europe and Asia, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland.

• Family: Penguins
• Order: Penguin-like

For your large sizes The emperor penguin paid for the ability to fly. Its small wings are not able to withstand heavy weight, which reaches 50 kg.

The penguin feeds on sea inhabitants and, thanks to its acute vision, is able to dive to considerable depths - about 550 meters. The emperor penguin can only be found in Antarctica. It is perfectly adapted to harsh conditions. Subcutaneous fat, dense fine plumage, and a streamlined body allow them to survive at low temperatures and move underwater. The black color serves as camouflage.

Penguins settle in colonies, the number of which reaches 10 thousand individuals.

• Order: Ostriformes
• Family: Nandu
• Body weight: 30 kg.
• Height: 1.5 m.

The large rhea has the same strong legs as the ostrich and can run fast, but cannot fly. Uses wings for balance. Feels good in water. The rhea's feet are equipped with three toes, one of which has a sharp claw for protection.

The rhea menu is varied. Roots, various fruits and plants, leaves, and seeds are used. From time to time it eats insects and small vertebrates. If necessary, it is easy to do without water, eating food with a high fluid content.

It has a large number of partners for one season. Their number can reach 15 individuals. The male usually takes care of the offspring, and he also incubates the eggs.

The rhea's habitat stretches from Brazil to Patagonia.

• Family: Cassowaries
• Order: cassowaries
• Body weight: 55 kg

Emas resemble an ostrich in appearance. It used to be called the Australian ostrich because of this similarity, but this opinion is erroneous. And now it is believed that the emu belongs to the order of cassowaries. This bird, like the ostrich, helmeted cassowary and orange cassowary that preceded it, is not capable of flight. Explained by the presence of hair instead of plumage and underdeveloped wings. The emu is omnivorous, has a love of moisture and water, but can go without water for a long time. Emus are real family men; males take especially good care of their offspring, independently teaching their chicks how to get food and survive. Like the ostrich, the emu is polygamous, but in this case the females hatch the eggs together with the male. Their habitat is Australia, but these birds are rare in the wild.

• Family: Cassowaries
• Order: Cassowaries

Another representative of the cassowaries, differing from the previous one in weight (58 kg) and brightly colored neck - except of blue color orange is also present. Additionally, the female orange cassowary is larger than the male and also has brighter plumage. The weight of the female is 58 kg, and the male is 38 kg. Like its relative, the orange cassowary is omnivorous. Anything that catches his eye can serve as food for him: leaves, fruits, lizards, insects, etc. The bird is polygamous; the male chooses several females to procreate. Interesting fact is that the male raises the offspring on his own, while the females leave the family and look for new partners. Cassowaries are protected and live mainly in New Guinea.

2. Helmeted cassowary (common cassowary)

• Family: Cassowaries
• Order: Cassowaries

The cassowary received its name due to a hard growth on its head, similar to a comb. Of the entire cassowary family, the helmeted cassowary is the heaviest. It weighs about 85 kilograms and takes an honorable second place among heavyweight birds. Appearance The cassowary is quite unusual: in addition to a large crest the size of its head, the bird has a bright color in the neck area (it is blue, like the head), as well as black hair-like plumage. Cassowary owner strong legs, which are thicker than even the legs of an ostrich.

The paws end in three fingers with long sharp claws, which are used in case of danger as a formidable weapon. Habitat: forested areas. Can be found in New Guinea, Northern Queenland and on the islands of Aru and Seram. Cassowaries mainly feed on plant foods, but are not averse to eating small animals.

The cassowary is monogamous.

• Family: Ostrich
• Order: Ostriformes
• Body weight: 156 kg

The African ostrich takes first place on the podium among the heavyweights. It has no keel and, accordingly, cannot fly. The reason is the large size, as well as poorly developed wings. But this is compensated by long, powerful legs, which allow the ostrich to cover long distances at a speed of 70 km/h.

Most often, ostriches create a kind of “harem” with a dominant female and lower-ranking females. The ostrich chooses a dominant female for life; the remaining females can change over time.

It is important to know that the cowardice of the ostrich and its habit of burying its head in the sand is a myth and nothing more. This bird can give a strong rebuff to the enemy if its life is in danger. Thanks to its strong paws, an ostrich can cause great damage to an adult lion or break a tree trunk. For this, many predators respect the ostrich and prefer to avoid it.

Wildlife fascinates the observer, and birds are no exception: they have long attracted the attention of researchers who dreamed of artificial wings; and the ground “walkers” and “runners” are funny and entertaining in their own way.

The incredible diversity of bird families and species is impressive; An inquisitive amateur ornithologist wants to understand what is the largest bird in the world? The answer to this question is interesting not only for children, but also for adult readers. You can compete for championship by wingspan, weight, height - you just need to decide on the criterion.

The largest birds in the world

Andean condor

Among flying predators, the inhabitant of the American Andes is recognized as the largest. This is an Andean condor, winning in almost all respects: with a weight of 11 to 15 kg and a height of 120-130 cm, its wingspan reaches 3 meters. The picture of the condor soaring is truly impressive: it uses rising air currents and opens its wings to its full width, covering up to 200 km per day!

This bird lives on the west coast of South America. Once its distribution area was quite extensive, but now this species is listed in the Red Book.

The condor became quite popular among readers of Jules Verne’s book “The Children of Captain Grant”: it is impossible to forget the episode when this predator carried away the body of an unconscious teenager in its clutches. Fortunately, then everything ended well, but the condor is really a serious opponent: it can drag away large prey in its claws.

The condor feeds on carrion: this is how the predator restores order, maintaining the ecosystem in balance.

African ostrich

Of the giant land birds, the recognized leader is the ostrich. Of course: with a height of 2.7 - 3 m, his weight reaches 130 - 200 kg! The bird is not able to lift itself into the sky; however, this deficiency is more than made up for by his speed: the runner can reach speeds of up to 80 km per hour! Catching up with an ostrich is almost impossible, because short wings help it, in case of danger, to sharply change direction, fleeing from pursuit. But the ostrich is not so cowardly: it can knock out an opponent with a blow from its powerful leg.

Today the African ostrich is the only representative of its species. It is interesting that from Greek “ostrich” is translated as “camel sparrow”: indeed, the small “sparrow” head is combined in this bird with a huge “camel” carcass on long legs, capable of easily moving along the desert sands.

The most famous myth about the ostrich gave rise to the saying “hiding your head in the sand,” that is, avoiding solving a problem, hoping that it will solve itself. However, such behavior is completely unusual for an ostrich: simply after a long run, its head on its long neck can sag in exhaustion, almost touching the ground.

Emperor penguin

Another terrestrial bird of impressive size is the emperor penguin. With a height of about 120 cm, the bird can weigh 40-45 kg - these are the dimensions of an average third-grader. Extremely clumsy on land, the penguin is an excellent swimmer, easily hunts for fish in the icy seas of Antarctica and can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, looking for prey.

The penguin is reliably protected from water and frost by a layer of fat and tight-fitting feathers. They settle in colonies, raise their chicks together, surrounding them with a dense ring of adults, and keep each other warm in particularly severe frosts: the temperature between the birds’ tightly pressed bodies can reach 35°C! Touching klutzes in black tailcoats, they are quite smart and devoted: parents take turns incubating a single egg, and in a children's group of grown-up chicks they will unerringly find their cub and feed it.

The greatest danger to penguins is the petrel: this predator appears out of nowhere, grabs their offspring with lightning speed, and immediately rushes away. An adult penguin is tough only for a giant killer whale.

Among sea flying birds, the wandering albatross stands out with its impressive wingspan of up to 3.5 m - in this category it is perhaps the champion - the largest bird in the world. With a relatively small size, the bird glides on such wings along air currents, practically without flapping. In pursuit of food, the albatross can travel up to 800 km per day!

Any weather is suitable for it, but the usual rise from the ground poses a real problem for this magnificent flyer: if there is no wind, the albatross cannot rise into the sky, and staying on land is dangerous for it - you can easily become the prey of a predator. If the bird is calm on the water, it sways on the waves waiting for the breeze.

The name reflects the albatross's lifestyle: it can attach itself to ocean-going ships or fishing vessels, eating all the leftover food thrown into the sea. By making such a living and following the ships, birds can end up hundreds of miles from their homes. At other times, they feed on fish, squid, small crustaceans, and do not disdain the remains of sea inhabitants.

The albatross, with its ability to soar on air currents and take off, pushing off from hills, became the prototype of the paraglider.

But the bustard or dudak is recognized as the heaviest of the flying birds: its weight can reach 20 kg - a real fat one! How does she lift herself off the ground? The wingspan of the bustard is huge - from 2 to 2.5 meters and allows the bird to use the same air currents, rising up along them. However, it takes off heavily, like a heavyweight aircraft, starting with a take-off run, diving low above the ground and rising higher and higher.

Its habitat is the steppes of Europe and Asia: they are full of grains, herbs and bulbs so beloved by the bustard, and teeming with frogs, lizards and mice. Bustards migrate, going south in winter and returning to their native steppes in summer.

It seems that this bird is a little offended by nature: it has no sweat glands and it cools down in its hot regions by lying on the ground, spreading its wings and breathing intensely with its open beak. Another problem is the lack of a fat layer on the wings: in the rain they get wet through, and in cold weather they freeze, which is why the bustard becomes completely helpless.

But despite such troubles, not so long ago the steppes of Eurasia were teeming with these funny birds, but now the state is forced to take bustards under protection due to a sharp decrease in their numbers.

This is one of the largest waterfowl migratory birds with a prominent beak up to half a meter long. The pelican reaches a length of up to 180 cm and weighs about 14 kg, and its wingspan is about 3 m. The structural features of its paws do not allow it to dive deeply, so the bird hunts in shallow water. In addition, its feathers quickly become wet, and pelicans squeeze them out with their huge beaks.

When taking off, the pelican easily pushes off from the water surface - it is helped by dense membranes on its paws. But getting up from the ground is more difficult for a heavyweight - you have to jump several times. It hovers in the air with its head resting on its shoulders: its beak is so heavy that the pelican takes every opportunity to rest its neck.

They call it curly for a reason: the bird’s head is decorated with long curly feathers, creating a stylish hairstyle. The bright orange lower part of the beak complements the image of the dude. One can only guess how nature manages to make a creature with such a huge nose incredibly beautiful, and its flight mesmerizing?

Pelicans nest in a variety of places, from Mongolia to the Sea of ​​Azov, and winter in China, India, Iraq, and Egypt. They live in pairs and raise their chicks together. It is interesting to watch how a pelican hunts: it waits until the fish rises higher to the surface, lowers its beak into the water and fills it, like a bag, with the desired prey.

Unfortunately, this amazing bird is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book.

The swan has long symbolized fidelity and love. This bird is also one of the ten largest waterfowl in the world. During the fishing period, a male swan reaches 15 kg, having an impressive wingspan of up to 2 m. Due to its considerable weight, the swan takes off heavily, moving its paws for a long time and gradually gaining height, and most often lands on the water to avoid being hit.

Migrating northern swans fly in a wedge formation, following the strongest leader: he creates aerodynamic currents that make it easier for others to fly. Swans winter in the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean, and in the summer they return north to the tundra. These majestic birds feed on grass, duckweed, small invertebrates, roots and seeds of plants.

Their plumage is perfectly suited for swimming: the feathers are protected by a layer of fat, and underneath is the famous swan down, warm and light. Their webbed feet allow them to swim easily, making them clumsy on land. But they don’t know how to dive deep and hunt on the surface.

These birds make virtually no sounds, so the expression “swan song” is simply an allegory. In case of danger, swans hiss, which is why the largest species was called mute. Swans are listed in the Red Book and hunting them, fortunately, is prohibited.

Speaking about giant birds, one cannot fail to mention the already extinct Argentavis, discovered by paleontologists on the territory of modern Argentina and supposedly lived there 5-8 million years ago. This bird is now considered the largest species known to scientists in history.

Its wingspan reached 7-8 m, and its weight was 70 kg. Anatomically, this giant was similar to the stork-shaped American vulture, but it fed on live prey. Argentavis probably fell from a height onto a flock of rodents and swallowed them whole.

The average lifespan of a bird was about 100 years. Scientists cannot explain how this colossus took off from the ground, but they suggest that Argentavis soared through the air on its huge wings. Obviously, the extinct Argentavis could compete for the title of the largest bird in the world if it were alive today.

The largest birds in the world amaze with their size. But many of them paid for their height and weight, losing the ability to fly. The ranking presents the leaders in size, wingspan and weight among flying, flightless and aquatic species.

The ranking of the largest birds in the world opens with the mute swan. Among the duck family, this is the largest representative. The bird's weight can reach 22 kg, its wingspan is 2.4 m, its height is 1.8 m. Now it is one of the rarest birds in the world. wildlife, since hunting for swans led to their extinction. Mute mutes feel good in captivity and therefore are an adornment of many pond ensembles. The swan gets its name from the hissing sound it makes when angry.

Birds that cannot fly - penguins are among the heaviest and largest in the world. The most prominent of the family is considered the emperor penguin, whose weight reaches 50 kg and height up to 1.3 m. The penguin searches for prey exclusively in the water. He has well-developed vision, which allows him to dive to depths of up to 550 m. To find food, penguins are ready to cover considerable distances and pick up speeds of up to 55-58 km/h. Birds nest in colonies. In severe frosts they gather in large groups to keep warm and constantly move from one place to another - this is how each individual receives its share of heat.

One of the largest and heaviest birds is the Steller's sea eagle. The wingspan of an adult can reach up to 2.45 m, height 1.15 m. This predator prefers to feed on salmon fish, but it also poses a serious threat to young seals, which it can also attack. Due to their significant weight (up to 9 kg), eagles do not make long flights, so they nest close to the prey site. Despite the fact that eagles form pairs for procreation, betrayal is a common occurrence among them. Both males and females mate with other individuals. Therefore, in a family of eagles there may be chicks from different fathers.

The physique of the bustard allows it to be included in the list of the largest birds. Males reach 16 kg, with a body length of 1 m, and the span of wide, strong wings can be up to 2.4 m. The bustard flies excellently, although it gains height very slowly. But she likes to move more on the ground; for this she has powerful, unfeathered paws. Unlike other birds, bustards do not have a coccygeal gland, which produces fatty lubricant for plumage. Therefore, during periods of rain and frost, they become helpless due to wet and frozen wings.

The crane is considered not only the largest bird in the world, but also the oldest. The formation of the family dates back to the time of dinosaurs. The Indian representative of the family is considered the largest: height is 1.75 m, wingspan reaches 2.4 m. This height makes the crane the tallest flying bird on the planet. The family also has its own heavyweights - the Japanese crane, which can gain up to 12 kg. In almost every country where cranes live, they are valued for their beauty, grace, mating dances and fidelity. Birds remain paired until the end of their lives.

The strange name “baba” is also given to another largest bird - Dalmatian pelican, so nicknamed for the curly feathers on its head. The bird's body reaches a length of 1.8 m, the wingspan is 3.4 m, and the beak length is 0.5 m (the second largest in the world). Weight can be gained up to 15 kg. A large bird eats food per day, the weight of which is 20-30% of the weight of the animal itself. The pelican flies and swims equally well. But in water, the wings quickly get wet, so he often raises them up while swimming so that the water drains. Also, the pelican constantly runs its beak along its wings, as if squeezing out water, so that in case of danger the plumage is dry and it can take off freely.

The largest birds include the black vulture or bearded vulture. The wingspan reaches almost 3 m, and the body length is 1.2 m. Unlike other birds, the male is much larger than the female. Vultures have large eyes, so they have excellent vision, and a strong and large beak allows them to tear prey into pieces. The feathers on the head are replaced by fluff. All these character traits- These are devices for a scavenger who does not hunt, but searches for and eats prey. Vultures eat a lot and even too much. Sometimes, having eaten too much, they cannot take off under their own weight. It gets to the point that, sensing danger, vultures regurgitate food in order to rise into the air.

The largest flying bird in the world is the wandering albatross. Its wingspan is 3.3 m and its length is 1.2 m. Among other albatrosses, the wanderer bird has completely white plumage and only the edge of the wings is trimmed with a black stripe. Albatrosses are solitary, although they nest in colonies. Albatrosses feed on all fish, without exception, that can fit into a huge beak. They are frequent companions of marine seafood processing trailers waiting for waste. Albatrosses live a long time, on average 30 years, but can live up to 50, and they only mate once.

One of the largest flightless birds in the world is the cassowary. In terms of size, they rank second in the world and first on the Australian mainland. The helmeted cassowary is the largest representative of the family: height – 1.5 m, weight – 80 kg. The bird runs fast. She is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h in a matter of seconds and swims well and quickly. Cassowaries are considered very dangerous. Their main weapon is a claw, similar to a dagger, the length of which reaches 15 cm. Representatives of the family were included in the Guinness Book in 2004 as the most dangerous on the planet. They were no longer kept in zoos because too many injuries were caused to employees and visitors.

The ostrich is rightfully recognized as the largest bird in the world. But besides this, it is also the heaviest and fastest representative of birds. Its height reaches 2.7 m, weight reaches 200 kg, and the speed that the animal can reach is 70 km/h. It is not for nothing that its name means “camel sparrow”. Just one step taken by a bird is 4 meters. How much an ostrich eats in nature is not completely known, but in captivity it needs 3.5–4 kg of food per day. Having no teeth, it eats pebbles for better digestion, and can even swallow metal elements. The largest bird is very dangerous. With a blow from her powerful leg with a long claw, she is capable of killing a large predator, even one as dangerous as a lion.