3. Southern Royal Albatross
In terms of wing span, the southern royal albatross is among the biggest flying bird species. Although it spends most of its time in the waters off South America, when it is time to reproduce, it heads back to Campbell Island. Circumnavigating the globe was the only way to get from South America to Campbell Island. Their food consists primarily on fish collected at or near the water’s surface. While pairs of southern royal albatrosses frequently stay together throughout their breeding careers, sometimes they will break up. Two to three months later, in January, the young had emerged from their mothers’ November eggs. Until the following mating season, the male and female take turns caring for the young.
2. Great White Pelican
Great white pelicans have a wing span of up to 12 feet. The wetland habitats of Europe, Asia, and Africa are home to this bird. Males have a maximum weight limit of 33 pounds, while girls are limited to a maximum of 20 pounds. South Africa is the most likely breeding ground, however the species has been spotted in Russia, Turkey, and even northern Greece.
This bird has been observed feeding in groups of as many as eight individuals. Birds will line up neatly around a school of fish and dip their beaks together as a group. Birds get a tasty mouthful when they lift their heads and the water is forced out of pouches in their beaks. They consume a wide variety of foods, not just aquatic life. They are also capable of gathering food and will often consume the young of other species of birds.
1. Wandering Albatross
Here we have the biggest known flying bird in the world. The greatest wing spread of a Wandering Albatross is 3.5 meters (11.4 feet), making it somewhat bigger than that of a Great White Pelican, which is 3 meters (9.8 feet) at its widest point.
The albatross spends the most majority of its life flying far above the oceans of the southern hemisphere. Being one of the biggest avian species still around today, it has been the subject of much research. Thus, researchers have assembled an exhaustive database of information regarding the creature. Unconfirmed reports claim to have seen measurements as large as 17 feet, 5 inches for the wingspan of the Wandering Albatross.
These amazing birds are capable of flight for long periods of time without flapping their wings, and they only descend to the ground to eat and have babies. A year in which they log 75,000 miles is equivalent to two trips around the world.
