{"id":135,"date":"2021-10-25T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=102199"},"modified":"2021-10-25T17:20:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T15:20:11","slug":"top-10-the-worlds-largest-birds","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/top-10-the-worlds-largest-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10: The world\u2019s largest birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Sara Rigby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 25 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When you think of the world\u2019s biggest species, you probably think of mammals \u2013 giraffes, elephants, blue whales. Birds are comparatively small, at least in the UK. Here, you\u2019re more likely to see a robin or a sparrow than something that weighs tens of kilograms.<\/p>\n

But bird species can be surprisingly large, with the very largest even taller than a human.<\/p>\n

Even these species have nothing on the extinct elephant bird. The species Vorombe titan<\/i>, which lived in Madagascar over 1,000 years ago, may have weighed up to 800kg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

10. Dwarf cassowary<\/h2>\n
\""Dwarf\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Dwarf cassowary \u00a9 Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 17.6kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>New Guinea<\/p>\n

Living in forests on hills and mountains up to 3km high, Casuarius bennetti<\/em> is the smallest of the three species of cassowary. Over a metre long, this bird feeds on fungi, fruit, and even insects or small animals.<\/p>\n

9. Mute swan<\/h2>\n
\""Mute\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Mute swan \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight: <\/b>22.5kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>Central and Northern Europe; Central and Eastern Asia<\/p>\n

Despite its name, the mute swan (Cygnus olor<\/em>) is a vocal bird, though its voice is quieter than other species and it only uses it occasionally. They are usually found in lowland freshwater marshes, lagoons and rivers.<\/p>\n

8. Lesser rhea<\/h2>\n
\""Lesser\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Lesser rhea \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight: <\/strong>25kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru<\/p>\n

Rhea pennata <\/i>is also known as Darwin\u2019s rhea, after the naturalist studied the species on his second voyage on the\u00a0Beagle<\/em>. Though Darwin struggled in his search for the bird, he was successful after the artist Conrad Martens, who joined him on the voyage, shot and prepared one for dinner.<\/p>\n

7. Greater rhea<\/h2>\n
\""Greater\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Greater rhea \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> Over 25kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:<\/strong> Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay<\/p>\n

This grassland-dwelling species, Rhea americana<\/i>, is omnivorous. As well as plants, it likes to eat grasshoppers, lizards, frogs, small birds and some snakes.<\/p>\n

6. Emperor penguin<\/h2>\n
\""Emperor\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Emperor penguin \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 46kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:<\/strong> Antarctica<\/p>\n

This iconic species can stand as tall as 115cm and weigh up to 46kg. Aptenodytes forsteri<\/i> will trek up to 120km over ice to reach a breeding colony.<\/p>\n

5. Emu<\/h2>\n
\""Emu\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Emu \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 55kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:<\/strong> Australia<\/p>\n

Of the four surviving members of the family Casuariidae, three are cassowaries, and the fourth is the emu. Adult emus can stand at 190cm tall, and though they weigh on average between 30 and 45kg, the largest reach 55kg.<\/p>\n

4. Northern cassowary<\/h2>\n
\""Northern\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Northern cassowary \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:\u00a0<\/strong>58kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>New Guinea<\/p>\n

Like other species of cassowary, Casuarius unappendiculatus<\/i> is a flightless bird. After being laid by a female, the eggs of this species are incubated by a male who raises them for nine months.<\/p>\n

3. Southern cassowary<\/h2>\n
\""Southern\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Southern cassowary \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 58kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>New Guinea and Queensland, Australia<\/p>\n

The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius<\/em>) is only slightly larger than its cousin, the northern cassowary. They live in rainforests, swamp forests and savannah woodland, and can grow up to 170cm in length.<\/p>\n

2. Somali ostrich<\/h2>\n
\""Somali\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Somali ostrich \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 105kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>Horn of Africa<\/p>\n

Once believed to be a subspecies of the common ostrich, Struthio molybdophanes<\/em> was confirmed as a separate species in 2014.<\/p>\n

1. Common ostrich<\/h2>\n
\""Top\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Common ostrich \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Maximum weight:<\/strong> 156kg<\/p>\n

Distribution:\u00a0<\/strong>Savannahs of Africa<\/p>\n

Males of the species Struthio camelus\u00a0<\/i>can reach a whopping 2.75 tall. These flightless birds are incredible runners, and can reach speeds of 70km\/h (43mph) in a sprint.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n