Birds exhibit wingspans ranging from a few centimeters to several meters, reflecting specialized adaptations for flight and lifestyle. The largest wingspans belong to species that exploit soaring mechanics, allowing them to cover vast distances with minimal energy. Determining the record holder requires examining the technical definition of wingspan, the largest living species, and the largest known bird from the fossil record.
How Wingspan is Measured
Wingspan is standardized as the distance between the tips of a bird’s longest primary feathers when its wings are fully spread from one side to the other. This measurement is taken across the body, forming a straight line between the wingtips. For scientific consistency, this is typically done by grasping the wings at the wrist joints and measuring the distance between the feather tips of a live or recently deceased specimen.
Measuring wingspan requires a high degree of precision due to the flexible nature of feathers and joints. Field measurements from live, wild birds are often estimates and can show variation due to posture. However, measurements taken from museum specimens, where the wings can be fully stretched and flattened, tend to be more precise, establishing the benchmark for official records.
The Living Record Holder
The largest wingspan among all living birds belongs to the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans). This seabird typically averages a wingspan of around 10 feet (3 meters), with the largest confirmed individuals reaching up to 11 feet 11 inches (3.63 meters). This specialized adaptation dictates its life history over the Southern Ocean.
The Wandering Albatross has long, narrow wings, giving it a high aspect ratio ideal for dynamic soaring. This technique allows the bird to gain energy by repeatedly crossing the boundary layer between the water’s surface and the faster wind above. By executing precise maneuvers, the albatross can glide for hours or days without flapping, covering vast distances in search of squid and fish.
Other Giants in the Air
While the Wandering Albatross rules the open ocean, other massive birds hold records in different ecological categories, utilizing a distinct flight strategy known as thermal soaring. These species possess broad wings designed to catch and ride columns of warm, rising air, or thermals, and updrafts created by mountain slopes. This broad-winged morphology contrasts sharply with the narrow, glider-like wings of the albatross, as it is suited for staying aloft over land rather than sea.
The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), found along the Andes mountains and adjacent coasts, is often cited as the largest flying land bird in terms of combined weight and wingspan. Its maximum wingspan reaches 10 feet 10 inches (3.3 meters), allowing it to soar for hours, traveling over 100 miles without a single wing flap.
Another significant contender is the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), the largest pelican species and one of the heaviest flying birds globally. This massive water bird can achieve a wingspan of up to 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 meters). The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), the largest of the Old World vultures, also exhibits wingspans stretching up to 10 feet 2 inches (3.1 meters).
The Largest Known Wingspan
The largest wingspan ever recorded belongs not to a living species but to a prehistoric giant discovered in the fossil record. This record holder is Pelagornis sandersi, an extinct seabird that soared over the Earth’s oceans approximately 25 million years ago. Based on fossil evidence, including a well-preserved skull and wing bones, its wingspan is conservatively estimated to have been between 20 and 24 feet (6.1 and 7.4 meters).
P. sandersi belonged to the extinct pelagornithids, characterized by bizarre, tooth-like bony projections on their jaws called “pseudoteeth.” This massive size challenged theoretical limits for flying birds. Like the albatross, this ancient avian relied on highly efficient gliding, likely using dynamic soaring to travel immense distances over the ocean.