Heaviest and Largest Birds
Number one is the common ostrich at 90–145 kg (200–320 lb), followed by the emu at 30–55 kg (66–121 lb) and the emperor penguin at 22–45 kg (49–99 lb).
| # | Animal | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common Ostrich Bird |
90–145 kg (200–320 lb) | adults; females about 90–110 kg, males about 100–145 kg, with exceptional males over 150 kg |
| 2 | Emu Bird |
30–55 kg (66–121 lb) | adults; females average slightly heavier than males |
| 3 | Emperor Penguin Bird |
22–45 kg (49–99 lb) | adults; weight swings widely over the year as birds fatten up and then fast |
| 4 | Andean Condor Bird |
8–15 kg (18–33 lb) | adults; males 11–15 kg, females 8–11 kg |
| 5 | Mute Swan Bird |
8–12 kg (18–26 lb) | adults; males (cobs) average about 11 kg, females (pens) about 9 kg |
| 6 | Wandering Albatross Bird |
6–12 kg (13–26 lb) | adults; males are about 20% heavier than females |
| 7 | Wild Turkey Bird |
2.5–11 kg (5.5–24 lb) | adults; hens 2.5–5.4 kg, toms 5–11 kg |
| 8 | Canada Goose Bird |
2.4–6.5 kg (5.3–14.3 lb) | adults; varies widely by subspecies, and males are larger |
| 9 | Golden Eagle Bird |
3–6.5 kg (6.6–14.3 lb) | adults; males about 3–4.5 kg, females about 4–6.5 kg |
| 10 | Bald Eagle Bird |
3–6.3 kg (6.6–14 lb) | adults; females are about 25% heavier than males, and Alaskan birds are the largest |
| 11 | Indian Peafowl Bird |
2.75–6 kg (6–13 lb) | adults; peacocks 4–6 kg, peahens 2.75–4 kg |
| 12 | Chicken Bird |
1.5–4 kg (3.3–8.8 lb) | adult standard breeds; bantams are under 1 kg and the largest breeds exceed 5 kg |
| 13 | Greater Flamingo Bird |
2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb) | adults; males are larger than females |
| 14 | North Island Brown Kiwi Bird |
2–3 kg (4.4–6.6 lb) | adults; females average about 2.8 kg, males about 2.2 kg |
| 15 | Snowy Owl Bird |
1.6–3 kg (3.5–6.6 lb) | adults; females are heavier than males |
| 16 | Great Horned Owl Bird |
0.9–2.5 kg (2–5.5 lb) | adults; males average about 1.2 kg and females about 1.6 kg |
| 17 | Common Raven Bird |
0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb) | adults; size varies by region, with the largest birds in the far north and the Himalayas |
| 18 | Mallard Bird |
0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb) | adults; drakes are slightly heavier than hens |
| 19 | Peregrine Falcon Bird |
0.33–1.5 kg (0.7–3.3 lb) | adults across all subspecies; males 0.33–1 kg, females 0.7–1.5 kg |
| 20 | Red-Tailed Hawk Bird |
0.7–1.5 kg (1.5–3.3 lb) | adults; females average about 25% heavier than males |
| 21 | Scarlet Macaw Bird |
0.9–1.2 kg (2–2.6 lb) | adults; about 1 kg on average |
| 22 | Toco Toucan Bird |
500–876 g (1.1–1.9 lb) | adults; males are slightly larger |
| 23 | Barn Owl Bird |
300–700 g (0.7–1.5 lb) | adults; females are heavier, and American birds are larger than European ones |
| 24 | American Crow Bird |
316–620 g (11–22 oz) | adults; males are slightly larger |
| 25 | Atlantic Puffin Bird |
310–550 g (11–19 oz) | adults; northern populations are heavier |
About this ranking
The heaviest birds gave up flight altogether. Ostriches and emus are far heavier than any flying bird, because flight puts a hard ceiling on body weight: the heaviest fliers, such as swans, condors and albatrosses, top out at roughly 10 to 15 kilograms.
How it is ranked: Birds ranked by the upper end of the typical adult weight range. The list covers the 214 animals in the AnimalStats database, not every species on Earth.
The top five in detail
1. Common Ostrich — 90–145 kg (200–320 lb)
Adult common ostriches weigh 90–145 kg (200–320 lb), more than any other living bird. Males are larger, at about 100–145 kg, while females weigh roughly 90–110 kg. Exceptional males exceed 150 kg. A newly hatched chick already weighs about 1 kg.
2. Emu — 30–55 kg (66–121 lb)
Adult emus weigh 30–55 kg (66–121 lb). Unusually for a large bird, females are slightly heavier than males, averaging about 37 kg against 32 kg. Breeding males can lose up to a third of their body weight during the eight weeks they spend incubating without eating.
3. Emperor Penguin — 22–45 kg (49–99 lb)
Adult emperor penguins weigh 22–45 kg (49–99 lb). The range is wide because weight changes dramatically through the year. A male may start the breeding season near 38 kg and lose about 40 percent of that during roughly four months of fasting through courtship and incubation.
4. Andean Condor — 8–15 kg (18–33 lb)
Adult Andean condors weigh 8–15 kg (18–33 lb). Males weigh 11–15 kg and females 8–11 kg, which is the reverse of most birds of prey, where females are bigger. Only a few flying birds, such as the largest bustards and swans, are as heavy.
5. Mute Swan — 8–12 kg (18–26 lb)
Adult mute swans weigh 8–12 kg (18–26 lb), which makes them one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Males, called cobs, average about 11 kg and females, called pens, about 9 kg. Exceptional males have been weighed at more than 15 kg, but those are records.