When it comes to wingspan, birds have some of the widest in the animal kingdom. Wingspan is the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing. A large wingspan allows birds to soar through the skies and fly long distances without flapping their wings much. So which bird has the widest wingspan? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders.
Birds with Very Wide Wingspans
Here are some birds that have massive wingspans:
- Wandering Albatross – up to 11 feet 10 inches
- Southern Royal Albatross – up to 11 feet 4 inches
- Andean Condor – up to 10 feet 10 inches
- Dalmatian Pelican – up to 11 feet
- Great White Pelican – up to 10 feet 6 inches
As you can see, albatrosses and pelicans boast some of the widest wingspans in the avian world. The large size allows them to soar long distances without flapping their wings much. Now let’s look at some key contenders in more detail.
Wandering Albatross
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird species. These magnificent seabirds breed on remote islands in the southern oceans. They use their enormous wings to glide across the ocean on air currents searching for food. Their wingspan reaches up to 11 feet 10 inches, with some specimens reported to exceed 12 feet from tip to tip. With such giant wings, the wandering albatross is a master of soaring flight and can travel immense distances with barely a flap.
Southern Royal Albatross
The southern royal albatross comes in a close second for wingspan. These iconic black and white seabirds breed only on New Zealand’s islands. They can have a maximum wingspan around 11 feet 4 inches. With their supersized wings, they patrol the oceans around New Zealand for fish, squid, and krill. The Southern Royal Albatross uses dynamic soaring as well as gliding while tracking down prey. Their massive wings provide enough lift for them to fly thousands of miles across windy seas.
Andean Condor
The Andean condor is South America’s largest flying bird. These iconic vultures are an intimidating presence in the skies over the Andes mountains. They scavenge for carrion and have a wingspan reaching over 10 feet across. Their broad wings allow them to catch rising air currents and soar for miles with minimal effort. Condors will travel up to 100 miles a day in search of food. With their gigantic wingspans, condors can glide at altitudes over 15,000 feet!
Other Birds with Large Wingspans
Several other bird species have impressively large wingspans over 10 feet:
- Dalmatian Pelican – up to 11 feet
- Great White Pelican – up to 10 feet 6 inches
- White-bellied Sea Eagle – up to 9 feet 6 inches
- California Condor – up to 9 feet 9 inches
- White Stork – up to 8 feet
Dalmatian and Great White pelicans have some of the largest wingspans ever measured. The White-bellied Sea Eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey with huge wings. The California Condor is North America’s largest flying land bird. And the White Stork has amazingly wide wings to help it migrate immense distances.
Bird Wingspan Comparison
To help visualize the wingspans of these giant birds, here is a comparison table:
| Bird | Maximum Wingspan |
|---|---|
| Wandering Albatross | 11 ft 10 in |
| Southern Royal Albatross | 11 ft 4 in |
| Andean Condor | 10 ft 10 in |
| Dalmatian Pelican | 11 ft |
| Great White Pelican | 10 ft 6 in |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | 9 ft 6 in |
| California Condor | 9 ft 9 in |
| White Stork | 8 ft |
This puts the wingspans of these birds in perspective. The Wandering Albatross and Southern Royal Albatross are in a league of their own, followed closely by Andean Condors and Dalmatian Pelicans.
Bird Adaptations for Large Wingspans
Birds need special adaptations to enable such tremendously wide wingspans:
- Lightweight bones – Birds have hollow, lightweight bones that make their huge wings easier to fly with.
- Powerful chest muscles – Flying requires strong pectoral muscles to power those massive wings.
- Streamlined bodies – Their narrow, aerodynamic bodies reduce drag in flight.
- Special tendons – Tendons in the wings lock the wings in an extended gliding position.
These adaptations allow birds like albatrosses and condors to fly gracefully even with enormous 10+ foot wingspans. Their super-sized wings help them soar vast distances and remain aloft for hours on air currents alone.
Non-Bird Species with Wide Wingspans
Outside of the bird world, here are some of the creatures with the widest wingspans:
- Flying Fox – Up to 5 feet 6 inches
- Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox – Up to 5 feet 6 inches
- Malayan Flying Fox – Up to 5 feet
- Greater Flying Fox – Up to 4 feet 6 inches
- Flying Lemur – Up to 2 feet
The giant bats known as flying foxes have the widest wingspans of any non-bird species. Their wings allow them to fly and roost high in trees. The Malayan flying fox and giant golden-crowned flying fox have some of the widest documented wingspans – reaching over 5 feet across from tip to tip! But no flying creature outside of birds comes close to matching the largest albatross and pelican wingspans.
Prehistoric Species with Enormous Wingspans
Now let’s look back at ancient prehistoric creatures that ruled the skies with absolutely massive wings:
- Quetzalcoatlus – est. 36 feet!
- Hatzegopteryx – est. 33 feet
- Arambourgiania – est. 33 feet
These winged giants called azhdarchids inhabited the late Cretaceous period 70-65 million years ago. They were an extinct group of pterosaurs, which were flying reptiles. Scientists estimate the largest azhdarchids had colossal wings spanning over 30 feet! That dwarfs the wingspans of all known birds, ancient or modern. The sheer size of these wings propelled the azhdarchids through prehistoric skies as they hunted for prey.
Quetzalcoatlus
The largest known azhdarchid was the Quetzalcoatlus, named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. It lived in modern day Texas between 68-65 million years ago. Based on fossil remains, scientists estimate it had a wingspan around 36 feet! At such a gigantic size, it could probably glide for very long distances without flapping its wings. With its toothless beak, Quetzalcoatlus likely fed on fish, small animals and carrion while in flight.
Hatzegopteryx and Arambourgiania
Two other azhdarchids are estimated to have had equally massive wingspans around 33 feet: Hatzegopteryx and Arambourgiania. Fragmentary remains of these creatures reveal the tremendous size they attained. With wings spanning over 30 feet, they would cast ominous shadows as they soared overhead. These winged giants from the late Cretaceous forests could fend off dangerous predators and fly enormous distances in search of food.
The azhdarchids dwarf all other flying creatures in wingspan, living or extinct. No bird comes close to their foreboding size.
Conclusion
To sum up, the Wandering Albatross has the widest wingspan of any living bird today at up to 12 feet. But the extinct pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus had an estimated wingspan around 36 feet! Azhdarchids like Quetzalcoatlus, Hatzegopteryx and Arambourgiania far surpass all other flying animals in wingspan. With wingspans over 30 feet, they dominated prehistoric skies thanks to their gigantic size. Among today’s creatures, albatrosses and pelicans have the most massive wingspans. Their huge wings allow them to soar long distances over the open ocean. But they seem small compared to their gigantic pterosaur cousins, the azhdarchids, that ruled the skies long ago.
