The ten living flying birds with the largest published wingspans, from the great albatrosses and pelicans to the Andean condor and marabou stork.
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, with the longest-winged specimens measuring about 370 cm. The great white pelican is second at up to 360 cm and the southern royal albatross third at about 350 cm. The ranking uses the largest wingspan given in each species' Wikipedia article, checked October 2026.
These are the ten living flying birds with the largest published wingspans. Great albatrosses take four places and pelicans two, alongside the Andean condor, the marabou stork, the Himalayan vulture and the trumpeter swan. Wingspan figures for big birds are notoriously inconsistent: museum skins can be stretched, field measurements vary by method, and old record claims are often unverifiable. The wandering albatross's longest reliably measured specimens reach about 3.7 m — but claims of 4.22 m and 5.3 m remain unverified and are not used here.
The wandering (snowy) albatross has the longest wings of any living bird. Colonies average about 3.0–3.1 m, and the longest-winged specimens have measured about 3.7 m; reports of 4.22 m and 5.3 m remain unverified.
The great white pelican's published wingspan runs from 226 to 360 cm, the top of that range being the largest of any living flier outside the great albatrosses.
The southern royal albatross is close to the wandering albatross in size and may be heavier on average. Average spans of 2.9–3.28 m have been reported, with an upper limit of about 3.5 m.
This rare great albatross breeds only on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its wingspan is given as 280–340 cm.
The Andean condor has a mean wingspan of about 283 cm and a maximum of 3.3 m, and its wings have the largest surface area of any living bird.
The largest pelican on average has a wingspan typically between 2.7 and 3.2 m. Some handbooks give 310–345 cm, but its Wikipedia article notes those figures may come from stretched specimens.
Often credited with the largest wingspan of any land bird, the marabou averages about 2.6 m, with recorded examples up to 3.2 m. Older claims of 3.7–4.06 m are not accepted here.
Published wingspans for the Himalayan vulture range from 2.56 to 3.1 m, similar to the cinereous vulture, though measuring methods vary widely.
North America's heaviest native bird and the largest living waterfowl has a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm; the largest known male spanned 3.1 m.
Slightly smaller than its southern relative, the northern royal albatross has a wingspan of 270–305 cm. The Tristan albatross ties it with a published maximum of 305 cm.
| # | Name | Scientific Name | Family | Published wingspan (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wandering Albatross | Diomedea exulans | Diomedeidae | mean about 300–310; up to 370 |
| 2 | Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Pelecanidae | 226–360 |
| 3 | Southern Royal Albatross | Diomedea epomophora | Diomedeidae | average 290–328; up to about 350 |
| 4 | Amsterdam Albatross | Diomedea amsterdamensis | Diomedeidae | 280–340 |
| 5 | Andean Condor | Vultur gryphus | Cathartidae | mean about 283; up to 330 |
| 6 | Dalmatian Pelican | Pelecanus crispus | Pelecanidae | typically 270–320 |
| 7 | Marabou Stork | Leptoptilos crumenifer | Ciconiidae | typically 225–287; recorded up to 320 |
| 8 | Himalayan Vulture | Gyps himalayensis | Accipitridae | 256–310 |
| 9 | Trumpeter Swan | Cygnus buccinator | Anatidae | 185–305 (largest known male 310) |
| 10 | Northern Royal Albatross | Diomedea sanfordi | Diomedeidae | 270–305 |
Birds are ranked by the largest wingspan stated in each species' English Wikipedia article (checked October 2026), which cites handbooks such as HBW and The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. That is the upper end of the published range, or the largest reliably reported specimen where the article gives one; figures the article itself calls unverified are excluded. Only living species capable of flight are included. Ties are listed alphabetically: Dalmatian pelican and marabou stork share 320 cm, and the northern royal albatross shares 305 cm with the Tristan albatross (No. 11). These are maximum figures, not typical sizes, and measurement methods differ between species.
The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans). Its longest-winged specimens measure about 3.7 m (12 ft), and colonies average about 3.0–3.1 m. Reports of 4.22 m and 5.3 m are unverified.
The wandering albatross has the longer wings (up to about 370 cm, against 330 cm for the condor), but the condor is heavier, at up to about 15 kg, and its wings have the largest surface area of any living bird.
Their largest published wingspans, about 295 cm for the cinereous vulture and 270 cm for the great bustard, fall below the tenth-place figure of 305 cm.
The extinct Pelagornis sandersi is thought to have had the largest wingspan of any bird, roughly 6.1–7.4 m (20–24 ft). Extinct species are excluded from this list.
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