We went in search of the largest birds in the world or the largest living birds in the world, and created a list of the ten largest living birds in the world, based on the average weight of an adult animal. Moreover, the bird with the largest wingspan is the giant albatross.
The average span is more than 3 meters, and the largest birds have a wingspan of more than 3.7 meters. But the average weight is "only" a kilo or 9, and the bird with the largest wingspan is well below the tenth largest bird in weight.
List of top 10 largest living birds in the world
1. Dalmatian Pelican
The Dalmatian pelican is the largest bird in the pelicans family and the largest flying bird. The animals may be about 1.70 meters long and do in terms of wingspan barely beneath the giant albatross.
The largest flying birds in the world can reach a maximum weight of up to 15 kilograms. They also fly only short distances.
2. King Penguin
The king penguin is the second largest penguin species; only the emperor penguin is, as the name implies, even greater. They are about 90 centimeters long and 20 kilograms heavy.
Striking these animals is the way of living. The huge colonies of hundreds of thousands of birds are sometimes large; as the population at Salisbury Plain in South Georgia (near the Falkland Islands), more than 100,000 breeding pairs in size.
3. Rheas
Rheas are a group of closely related ratites ostriches. The family contains two species, Darwin's rhea is the smallest. Darwin's Rhea is among the ratites. If Darwin's Rhea is mature, the animal weighs on average 28.6 kilograms.
A great starting point to achieve multiplication! If the females have laid their eggs all in one nest, the male takes responsibility; it incubates the eggs for about five weeks off. Adult birds live with peers in a group.
4. Dwarf Cassowary
The dwarf cassowary is, as the name suggests, the smallest of the three species of cassowaries. These birds, known in Australia as "cassowaries", mainly occur in the mountainous areas of Papua New Guinea.
They are solitary animals - however big they may be. "The Dwarf" cassowary is up to about 20kg heavy and may itself rank as the 7th largest bird.
5. American Rhea
The other and biggest Nando kind is simply called rhea. The largest birds weigh 40 kilograms and are more than 1.80 meters high.
They occur naturally in the vast plains in the center and southeast of South America. Because of their diverse diet and strong constitution, however, also some escaped rheas in Germany started a colony.
6. Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguins are the largest penguin species and the fifth largest species. They can be more than 1.20 meters high with a maximum weight of over 45 kilograms. The most special emperor penguins is their habitat.
They can survive in lower temperatures than any other species; Antarctic winter can freeze at 60 degrees. The fifth-largest birds survive through a variety of mechanisms; the best known is the massive flock together to isolate each other.
7. Emu
The Emu is the largest naturally occurring bird in Australia. On ostriches after the largest bird in the world. The bird is 1.50 to 2 meters tall and weighs 60 kg. The male is usually smaller.
Reportedly they existed 80 million years ago, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Emus are very curious animals, which are especially known for their typical curious look.
8. Northern Cassowary
The northern cassowary is substantially equal to its slightly larger cousin, the southern cassowary in many ways. Especially the huge, three-toed feet stand out, as is visible in the picture right.
It is also not difficult to see where the northern cassowary its name from. The second largest bird in the world can not exceed 75 kilograms and is about 1.80 meters tall.
9. Southern Cassowary
The southern cassowary is the largest bird in the family of cassowaries and the second-largest bird in the world. The animal is not to be trifled with; when they feel threatened by people they usually do not flee, but they go with their sharp claws into the attack.
In the breeding season, the southern cassowary is extra dangerous. The female lays a throw three to eight green eggs. Birds defend the nest with chicks. The cock incubates the eggs. Once they laid her eggs, she leaves the nest in search of a new cock. They mate each breeding season, with 2 or 3 different cocks. After 50 to 60 days the rooster has hatched eggs. The chicks remain 9 to 10 months for the father. They choose their own path.
10. Ostrich
The ostrich is the largest and heaviest contemporary species. Adult males can weigh up to 2.75 meters and 155 kilograms, but an average of 1.80 to 2.10 meters; Females are slightly smaller and lighter, up to 1.90 meters tall and 110 kilograms heavy.
Because they can not fly, they have developed various other ways to escape potential predators. They have eyes about 5 inches in diameter - probably more than any other land animal - and they run away from their enemies at speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour - and that does sustain an hour.
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