Largest bird ever

The largest birds that ever lived are the elephant birds of Madagascar, which became extinct around 1,000 years ago. The largest species among these was Vorombe titan (“big bird” in Malagasy and Greek), which stood as tall as 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches). It is estimated to have weighed as much as 860 kilograms (1,895 pounds 15 ounces) – with an average weight of 642.9 kilograms (1,417 pounds 5 ounces) – as confirmed in a paper published in Royal Society Open Science on 26 September 2018.

In the 19th century, the largest bird species was considered to be Aepyornis maximus – another type of elephant bird – while in more recent years, the largest birds were thought to be Dromornis stirtoni with the upper limit of body mass of these birds recorded to be 728 kilograms (1,604 pounds), with an average weight of 584 kilograms (1,287 pounds). However an extensive study of various elephant bird bones and computer modelling carried out in 2018 determined that the largest of these birds belonged to a different species: Vorombe titan.

The new research was conducted by James Hansford and Samuel Turvey – both of the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London, UK.

Only the Moas from New Zealand may have been taller than the elephant bird (reaching just over 3 metres), but they were not so massively built. The elephant bird's eggs were larger than those of any dinosaur, and are the largest single animal cell ever to exist on Earth. They had a liquid capacity of 2 gallons – the equivalent volume of 150–180 chicken eggs.

In the 19th century when the earliest remains of these avian giants began to be formally studied, it was thought there could be as many as 13 different species of elephant bird; using more modern analysis techniques that number has been reduced to between four and eight. Originally, the largest species was considered to be Aepyornis maximus, while in more recent years, this title transferred to Dromornis stirtoni with an upper body-mass limit of 728 kg (1,604 lb), or average of 584 kg (1,287 lb). However an extensive review of various elephant bird bones and computer modelling carried out in 2018 indicated that the largest of their kind could belong to a hitherto-unidentified species, dubbed Vorombe titan by James Hansford and Samuel Turvey of the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London, UK. Molecular research of elephant bird eggshells published in Nature in 2023, however, has called into question whether there is enough genetic distinction between Aepyornis maximus and Vorombe titan to warrant a separate genus.

Only the ground-dwelling moas (Dinornis) – a related group of giant ratites that are also now extinct – from New Zealand may have rivalled V. titan/A. maximus in terms of height, perhaps reaching just over 3 m. However, they were not so bulkily built, so would have been lighter by comparison.

The eggs of elephant birds were also superlative, larger than those of any bird or dinosaur. In fact, with a liquid capacity of approximately 2 gallons – the equivalent volume of around 150 chicken eggs – they are the largest single animal cells ever to exist. Elephant bird eggs reached in excess of 30 cm (1 ft) long and are estimated to have weighed c. 10 kg (22 lb).

When were elephant birds first discovered?

Rumours of giant birds living in Malagasy (the name of the dominant indigenous culture on the island of Madagascar) abounded in folklore for centuries, especially as the Age of Exploration took off and ocean travel took off. Some have suggested that the mythical “Rokh” bird – a fearsome enormous eagle-like creature, which features in the tales of Sinbad the Sailor in A Thousand and One Nights – might have been inspired by elephant birds.

A 1298 chronicle by Italian explorer Marco Polo alludes to stories of such an imposing bird picking up elephants in its talons, flying into the air and dropping them to the ground to devour them. Although this now seems impossible – not least because elephants are thought to have never lived on Madagascar, yet alone that we know elephant birds are flightless – this may have played a part in the origin of the name “elephant bird”. Of course, nowadays, it is their elephantine proportions that make for a much more plausible explanation as to why this name stuck.

The earliest written account of elephant birds directly dates to the 1650s, made by Étienne de Flacourt, who was the first French governor of Madagascar. He wrote of giant birds known as “vouron patra” that were still “haunting the Ampatres” (now the Androy region, the country’s most southerly point). But it’s not known how reliable his claim was or whether he was relying on historical reports. The earliest scientific assessment of elephant birds was presented by the French zoologist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1851, which is when the holotype species name Aepyornis maximus was designated.

What did elephant birds look like?

A member of the ratite family, the closest-living relatives of elephant birds are today’s remaining ratites, the majority of which are also flightless. These include emus, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis – and perhaps not surprisingly, the largest living bird, the ostrich (Struthio camelus).

Beyond their bulkier build (it’s worth noting that females were likely larger than males), elephant birds shared many similar biological traits to their modern-day cousins.

Internally this included the lack of a keel bone – an extension of the sternum found in all flying birds that provides an essential pivot point for muscles that enable wings to flap. Externally, like ostriches and emus, elephant birds had elongated necks, relatively small vestigial wings, spear-like beaks and three-toed, taloned feet at the end of stout, powerful legs (though they are not thought to have been fast runners as ostriches are).

Their bodies were covered in bristly feathers (probably dark in colour), more akin to those found on emus and kiwis than an ostrich’s more elaborate plumage.

Where did elephant birds live and what did they eat?

Fossilized skeletal remains and eggshell fragments indicate that elephant birds ranged across all of Madagascar at some point, though different species may have adapted to slightly different habitats. For the most part, the giant birds seem to have favoured the dense tropical forests of central and southern Madagascar, with the south-west of the island proving a particular hotspot for fossils.

Studies of their skulls (which can offer insights into senses such as eyesight and smell) suggest they may have led a nocturnal lifestyle, similar to today’s kiwis, their much-smaller relatives endemic to New Zealand.

Despite their prodigious size and somewhat formidable appearance, it’s believed that their diet was predominantly herbivorous. Taking advantage of the bounty of vegetation, staple foods they would have scavenged would have included a range of fruits, grasses, succulents and leaves. Scientists have postulated that these huge birds would have played a major role in distributing seeds across their territory, so their decline and eventual disappearance likely had a major impact on Madagascar’s wider ecology.  

How did elephant birds evolve and how did they go extinct?

A key factor behind elephant birds’ rise to such grand proportions seems to be their isolated location. Cut off from the African mainland in the Indian Ocean for millions of years, Madagascar has seen many species take a different evolutionary path from what elsewhere is “the norm” and, as a result, it boasts one of the highest levels of animal endemism anywhere in the world. A phenomenon known as “island gigantism” is most likely the cause of their growth spurt – essentially a lack of threats or competition enables animals to thrive that wouldn’t normally get an opportunity to top the food chain. It appears that elephant birds had no natural predators on Madagascar, at least until humans began to colonize the island.

The most recent estimates based on radiocarbon dating of remains indicate that elephant birds died out at some point between 800 and 1150 CE, with many sources citing 1000 CE as a general approximation. This would align with a period when Madagascar was undergoing huge changes as a rise in the human population saw vast swathes of the island’s virgin rainforest converted to farmland and pasture for cattle. As a result, habitat destruction is regarded as one of the biggest drivers of the extinction of these giant ratites.

There’s also evidence that they were hunted and butchered. In one recent study, cut marks were found on elephant bird bones dating as far back as 10,500 years. In some ways, however, this only introduces more ambiguity because it pushes back the earliest-known arrival of humans to Madagascar by at least 6,000 years; as such, this evidence suggests that people co-existed with elephant birds for several millennia before they were driven to extinction, raising the question of what changed?

Five more of the largest birds of all time

1. Heaviest extinct flying bird
   

   The condor-like vulture Argentavis magnificens, more commonly known as the giant teratorn, is estimated to have weighed 72 kg (1,581 lb). This is four times the mass of the heaviest living flying bird, the kori bustard (Ardeotis kori), or akin to 24 hens! Its fossil remains were discovered in 5–8-million-year-old Miocene deposits in Argentina.
   
   The also-extinct pelican-like seabird Pelagornis sandersi, dating from 25 million years ago, probably had a larger wingspan. At between 6 and 7.38 m (20–24 ft) wide, this is double the span of the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), the living bird with the biggest wings.
   
   

2. Largest penguin ever
   

   The Antarctic giant penguin (Palaeeudyptes kiekowskii) is estimated to have weighed as much as 115 kg (254 lb) and stood up to 2 m (6 ft 6 in) tall. It lived in Antarctica’s Seymour Island approximately 37 million years ago, during the Late Eocene epoch. This is about 2.5 times the weight of today’s largest penguin species, the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), which measures no more than 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) tall.
   

   
   Siggy Nowak / Pixabay

3. Largest parrot ever
   

   Identified from two fossilized leg bones unearthed in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island in 2008, Heracles inexpectatus is estimated to have weighed 6.96 kg (15 lb 5.5 oz) and stood approximately 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall. This would have made it approximately double the weight of the heaviest parrot now, the ground-dwelling kākāpo (Strigops habroptila), which is also endemic to New Zealand.
   
   

4. Largest eagle ever
   

   The largest eagle of all time was the Haast’s eagle (Harpagornis moorei), formerly native to New Zealand’s South Island. Adult females were significantly bigger than adult males (as is the case among most eagles), and are estimated to have weighed 10–15 kg (22–33 lb), with adult males coming in at 9–12 kg (20–26 lb). In terms of body size, even the largest eagles alive today are around 40% smaller than the Haast’s eagle. It became extinct in the early 15th century, when the huge flightless moas (cousins of elephant birds) upon which it mainly subsisted themselves became extinct owing to over-hunting.
   
   

5. Largest owl ever
   

   Cuban giant owls (Ornimegalonyx) measured about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall, and probably weighed well in excess of 9 kg (20 lb). It is believed to have been flightless or almost flightless. These owls are known from fossils of four closely related species all native to Cuba and dating from the Late Pleistocene epoch, some 10,000 years ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest bird alive today?

The largest living bird is the ostrich (Struthio camelus) of sub-Saharan Africa. Males have been recorded standing up to 9 ft (2.74 m) tall and weighing 345 lb (156.4 kg) – about the same weight as a giant panda. They also boast the largest eyes for a land animal, with eyeballs up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter.

Frans van Heerden / Pexels

What is the largest flying bird on Earth?

Based on wingspan, the largest flying bird is the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) which lives in and around the Southern Ocean, spending much of their lives on the wing and nesting on subantarctic islands. One male specimen documented in 1965 had wings that were 3.63 m (11 ft 11 in) from tip to tip. Today’s heaviest flying bird, meanwhile, is the kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) of southern and eastern Africa, which weighs up to 18.1 kg (40 lb) – equivalent to two adult Dachshunds.

xiSerge / Pixabay

Is a condor bigger than an eagle?

Andean condors (Vultur gryphus), which are a type of vulture from South America, are the largest birds of prey in the world, with males weighing up to 15 kg (33 lb) and having a total wingspan of 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in). It is the national bird of Chile, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador, even featuring on the national flag of the latter. By comparison, the largest species of eagle as of today is the Steller’s sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) native to Russia and eastern Asia, which weighs 5–9 kg (11–20 lb) and has a wingspan up to 2.45 m (8 ft).

Shanai Edelberg / Pexels

What is the strongest bird in the world?

Relative to size, one of the strongest birds in the world are female harpy eagles (Harpia harpyja) which are able to lift prey equivalent to their own weight of 9 kg (20 lb), such as howler monkeys and sloths. The harpy eagle has the heaviest and stoutest legs of any bird of prey and the female’s lower legs may be as large in diameter as a child’s wrist. The toes can span 23 cm (9 in) and individual talons up to 12.5 cm (5 in) long have been reported. Females of this species are significantly larger than males. The harpy eagle’s range extends from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

Peter Woelfel / Pixabay

What is the most violent bird in the world?

Arguably the most dangerous birds in the world belong to the cassowary family (Casuariidae), native to New Guinea, Indonesia and north-eastern Queensland, Australia. Related to elephant birds, these ground-dwelling ratites measure up to 2 m (6 ft 6 in) tall and on each foot they have three forward-pointing toes with strong claws, the inner toe bearing a particularly vicious 12-cm-long (5-in) spike for defensive purposes. A cornered or wounded bird can leap and kick, damaging vital organs or causing massive bleeding. There have been several cassowary-related fatalities documented. The last-reported death caused by cassowary was in April 2019: a 75-year-old man in Florida, USA, who reared the birds is believed to have fallen in their enclosure and been attacked. He later died in hospital from his injuries.

Anja Schröder / Pixabay

What is the fastest bird?

The fastest bird on land is also the largest living bird: the elephant bird’s modern-day relative, the ostrich (Struthio camelus). At full pelt, while running across open plains and deserts, ostriches can hit 72 km/h (45 mph). In the air, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) takes the crown, capable of attaining speeds of at least 320 km/h (200 mph) when hurtling after prey in an aerodynamic dive known as a “stoop”.

Is there any bird that can lift a human?

No flying bird exists today that could pick up an adult human – feasibly a harpy eagle (see above) could be strong enough to pick up a small baby, given it has been recorded hunting adult spider monkeys and sloths. Factoring in extinct birds, Maori oral tradition alludes to the Haast’s eagle – the largest eagle ever (see above) – being big enough to attack human children, but realistically even that giant bird of prey wouldn’t have had the strength to lift anything bigger than a toddler at most.

What is the largest animal to ever exist?

Beyond just birds, the largest animal ever to live on Earth is generally considered to be the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), still found in our oceans to this day. Fully grown, these massive marine mammals grow to 20–30 m (65–100 ft) long and weigh in the region of 160 tonnes (176 tons). Even larger historical specimens have been recorded by both length and weight. For example, a female weighing 190 tonnes (418,878 lb) and measuring 27.6 m (90 ft 6 in) in length was caught in the Southern Ocean on 20 March 1947. While another female, landed in 1909 at the whaling station in Grytviken in South Georgia in the South Atlantic, was documented as measuring “107 fot”. Based on the Norwegian fot (or “fod”) being equivalent to 313.74 mm (as of 1824), this gives a length of 33.57 m (110 ft 1.6 in).