Top 10 Highest Flying Birds In The World
Flying like a bird is a dream of every human. Of course we have
airplanes to make that dream a reality. A commercial flight can travel
at an altitude of 30000-40000 ft. But some birds can reach such great
altitude very easily. The followings are 10 highest flying birds in the
world.
Andean condor is a massive raptor that inhabits in the high peaks and
grassy plains across South America. It is a large flying bird, weigh up
to 15 kg. Andean condors have the longest wingspan of any raptor in the
world, span up to 10 ft 6 inches. They love to glide in the wind and
can each a maximum height of 15000 feet.
The Andean condor is also found as a symbol of power, liberty and health. It is also the national bird of Bolivia, Columbia, Chile and Ecuador. Unfortunately the majestic Andean condors are listed within endangered species. The over hunting and habitat loss are the main threats face by them.
The Andean condors are scavengers that primarily feed on carrion. They have excellent eyesight and can spot the carrions easily while gliding high in the sky. The sharp hooked beak and powerful claws let them to easily collect meat from carcasses.
The white stork is a popular wading bird that known for its
distinctive long neck that measure up to 45 inches. They inhabit in
warmer regions across Europe and West-central Asia. The white storks
have a wingspan of 2.3 meters and their beautiful plumage comes mainly
in white.
The white storks are strong migrant birds. They spend the winter season in tropical Africa. During migration they form large flocks that contain thousands of members. The white storks can also reach at a maximum altitude of 16000 feet.
The bar-tailed godwit
is a strong migrant, large wandering bird with a distinctive long bill.
They breed mainly in Alaska and Siberia and wintering in Australia and
New Zealand. The bar-tailed godwits are also known to perform longest
non-stop migration than any land bird in the world.
During the epic journey from Alaska to South the bar-tailed godwits cover about 11000 kilometers without rest. These amazing birds cover such long route in just seven or eight days. The bar-tailed godwits can also reach a maximum height of 20000 feet.
The most amazing thing about bar-tailed godwits is their capability to perform the long-distant migration without rest. They have a length between 14-16 inches and a maximum wingspan of 31 inches. Compared to other species of birds the bar-tailed godwit consume very little energy from the body. They also feel less air resistance as they have an aerodynamic body shape.
The mallard is a migratory wild duck found in North America and
Europe. The mallard ducks are notable for their iridescent-green head
and bright yellow bill. Before the start of winter the mallard ducks
migrate to the South where the temperature is mild. The mallard ducks
usually travel at an altitude of 1000-4000 feet. But they are also known
for flying at 21000 feet.
The bearded vulture is a large species of vulture that inhabit in
mountainous areas of Southern Europe. The bearded vultures can reach up
to a height of 4 feet and weigh between 5-7 kg. They also have a
wingspan of 2.5-2.7 meters. The strong, large wings let the bearded
vultures to soaring high above mountainous areas. They are capable of
flying at an altitude of 24000 feet from the ground.
The bearded vultures also known as ‘bone-eater’ because they exclusively feed on carcass bones. They swallow the small bones by the whole. If a bearded vulture gets a big bone the bird break the bone into smaller pieces by dropping it from a height on the rocks. The bearded vulture’s stomach acid can easily digest the bone pieces.
The Alpine chough
is a medium-sized mountain dwelling bird that lives in the high
mountains of Southern Europe and Central Asia. They are also known as
yellow-billed chough, named after their bright yellow bill. The Alpine
chough is the highest nesting bird in the world. It built nest at an
altitude of 21300 ft. The Alpine choughs are perfectly adapted to live
in thin atmosphere.
Alpine choughs are notable for their amazing flight skills. They easily fly around high peaks of the Himalayas. This mountain dwelling bird can reach a maximum height if 26500 feet. The Alpine choughs can fly at great altitudes, even in winter.
The whooper swan is a large migratory bird that named after its
‘whooping’ calls. They inhabit in flooded grasslands, wetlands, tundra,
lakes and ponds of Southern Eurasia. They are notable for their long
neck and yellow and black bill. In winter the whooper swans migrate to
Denmark, Germany and Britain.
During migration they form large flocks that contain thousands of individuals. They fly in ‘V’ formations during their journey to wintering grounds. The whooper swans usually fly at an altitude of 8000 feet during migration. But they can reach a maximum height of 27000 feet from the sea level.
The bar-headed goose
is a migrating bird that can ascend to a height of 29000 feet, higher
than Mount Everest. The bar-headed geese are native to Central Asia.
They are perfectly adapted to fly over the Himalayan peaks where air
pressure is dramatically low. The bar-headed geese have higher lung
capacity than other geese. Their body have more red blood cells and can
also increase the cardiac output in flight.
The bar-headed geese are named after two dark bars around their head. They inhabit in high altitude lakes across Central Asia. In winter the bar-headed geese migrate to the South. They can cross a distance of 1000 miles in a single day during migration.
The common crane is the second highest flying bird in the world. They
are known to fly across Himalayas at a height of 33000 meters. The
common cranes are also known as Eurasian crane that live in Northern
parts of Europe and Asia. The medium sized bird has a wingspan between
1.8-2.4 meters. It is a long distant migrant bird and wintering in
Northern Africa. The common cranes form a large ‘V’ shape formations
during migration.
The Ruppell’s griffon vulture is the highest flying bird ever recorded. They can fly at an altitude of 37000 feet. Compared to ground the presence of oxygen is very less at such a great altitude. But the Ruppell’s vulture’s body contains a special type of hemoglobin and makes the oxygen intake more effective.
The Ruppell’s griffon vulture is a member of the vulture family. They have an approximate length of 1 meter and weigh between 7-9 kg. The wingspan of Ruppell’s vulture measure between 2.3-2.5 meters. They can fly at a speed of 22 mph and can stay in the air for hours. The Ruppell’s vultures are scavengers. They have keen eyesight and can spot carcasses from great heights
10
Andean Condor – 15000 feet
Andean condor is a massive raptor that inhabits in the high peaks and
grassy plains across South America. It is a large flying bird, weigh up
to 15 kg. Andean condors have the longest wingspan of any raptor in the
world, span up to 10 ft 6 inches. They love to glide in the wind and
can each a maximum height of 15000 feet.The Andean condor is also found as a symbol of power, liberty and health. It is also the national bird of Bolivia, Columbia, Chile and Ecuador. Unfortunately the majestic Andean condors are listed within endangered species. The over hunting and habitat loss are the main threats face by them.
The Andean condors are scavengers that primarily feed on carrion. They have excellent eyesight and can spot the carrions easily while gliding high in the sky. The sharp hooked beak and powerful claws let them to easily collect meat from carcasses.
9
White Stork – 16000 feet
The white stork is a popular wading bird that known for its
distinctive long neck that measure up to 45 inches. They inhabit in
warmer regions across Europe and West-central Asia. The white storks
have a wingspan of 2.3 meters and their beautiful plumage comes mainly
in white.The white storks are strong migrant birds. They spend the winter season in tropical Africa. During migration they form large flocks that contain thousands of members. The white storks can also reach at a maximum altitude of 16000 feet.
8
Bar-tailed Godwit – 20000 feet
The bar-tailed godwit
is a strong migrant, large wandering bird with a distinctive long bill.
They breed mainly in Alaska and Siberia and wintering in Australia and
New Zealand. The bar-tailed godwits are also known to perform longest
non-stop migration than any land bird in the world.During the epic journey from Alaska to South the bar-tailed godwits cover about 11000 kilometers without rest. These amazing birds cover such long route in just seven or eight days. The bar-tailed godwits can also reach a maximum height of 20000 feet.
The most amazing thing about bar-tailed godwits is their capability to perform the long-distant migration without rest. They have a length between 14-16 inches and a maximum wingspan of 31 inches. Compared to other species of birds the bar-tailed godwit consume very little energy from the body. They also feel less air resistance as they have an aerodynamic body shape.
7
Mallard – 21000 feet
The mallard is a migratory wild duck found in North America and
Europe. The mallard ducks are notable for their iridescent-green head
and bright yellow bill. Before the start of winter the mallard ducks
migrate to the South where the temperature is mild. The mallard ducks
usually travel at an altitude of 1000-4000 feet. But they are also known
for flying at 21000 feet.
6
Bearded Vulture – 24000 feet
The bearded vulture is a large species of vulture that inhabit in
mountainous areas of Southern Europe. The bearded vultures can reach up
to a height of 4 feet and weigh between 5-7 kg. They also have a
wingspan of 2.5-2.7 meters. The strong, large wings let the bearded
vultures to soaring high above mountainous areas. They are capable of
flying at an altitude of 24000 feet from the ground.The bearded vultures also known as ‘bone-eater’ because they exclusively feed on carcass bones. They swallow the small bones by the whole. If a bearded vulture gets a big bone the bird break the bone into smaller pieces by dropping it from a height on the rocks. The bearded vulture’s stomach acid can easily digest the bone pieces.
5
Alpine Chough – 26500 feet
The Alpine chough
is a medium-sized mountain dwelling bird that lives in the high
mountains of Southern Europe and Central Asia. They are also known as
yellow-billed chough, named after their bright yellow bill. The Alpine
chough is the highest nesting bird in the world. It built nest at an
altitude of 21300 ft. The Alpine choughs are perfectly adapted to live
in thin atmosphere.Alpine choughs are notable for their amazing flight skills. They easily fly around high peaks of the Himalayas. This mountain dwelling bird can reach a maximum height if 26500 feet. The Alpine choughs can fly at great altitudes, even in winter.
4
Whooper Swan – 27000 feet
The whooper swan is a large migratory bird that named after its
‘whooping’ calls. They inhabit in flooded grasslands, wetlands, tundra,
lakes and ponds of Southern Eurasia. They are notable for their long
neck and yellow and black bill. In winter the whooper swans migrate to
Denmark, Germany and Britain.During migration they form large flocks that contain thousands of individuals. They fly in ‘V’ formations during their journey to wintering grounds. The whooper swans usually fly at an altitude of 8000 feet during migration. But they can reach a maximum height of 27000 feet from the sea level.
3
Bar-headed Goose – 29000 feet
The bar-headed goose
is a migrating bird that can ascend to a height of 29000 feet, higher
than Mount Everest. The bar-headed geese are native to Central Asia.
They are perfectly adapted to fly over the Himalayan peaks where air
pressure is dramatically low. The bar-headed geese have higher lung
capacity than other geese. Their body have more red blood cells and can
also increase the cardiac output in flight.The bar-headed geese are named after two dark bars around their head. They inhabit in high altitude lakes across Central Asia. In winter the bar-headed geese migrate to the South. They can cross a distance of 1000 miles in a single day during migration.
2
Common Crane – 33000 feet
The common crane is the second highest flying bird in the world. They
are known to fly across Himalayas at a height of 33000 meters. The
common cranes are also known as Eurasian crane that live in Northern
parts of Europe and Asia. The medium sized bird has a wingspan between
1.8-2.4 meters. It is a long distant migrant bird and wintering in
Northern Africa. The common cranes form a large ‘V’ shape formations
during migration.
1
Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture – 37000 feet
credit of image : Saamah on Wikimedia Commons
The Ruppell’s griffon vulture is the highest flying bird ever recorded. They can fly at an altitude of 37000 feet. Compared to ground the presence of oxygen is very less at such a great altitude. But the Ruppell’s vulture’s body contains a special type of hemoglobin and makes the oxygen intake more effective.
The Ruppell’s griffon vulture is a member of the vulture family. They have an approximate length of 1 meter and weigh between 7-9 kg. The wingspan of Ruppell’s vulture measure between 2.3-2.5 meters. They can fly at a speed of 22 mph and can stay in the air for hours. The Ruppell’s vultures are scavengers. They have keen eyesight and can spot carcasses from great heights
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