How big is that wingspan?
Wingspan is limited by the strength of bone and the physics of flapping. The largest flier ever was about the size of a small plane.
91% of a golden eagle
2 m is bigger than 4 of the 10 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| hummingbird | 0.11 m | 18.2× | |
| house sparrow | 0.24 m | 8.33× | |
| pigeon | 0.66 m | 3.03× | |
| herring gull | 1.44 m | 1.39× | |
| golden eagle | 2.2 m | 0.909× | |
| Andean condor | 3.3 m | 0.606× | |
| wandering albatross | 3.5 m | 0.571× | The largest of any living bird |
| Quetzalcoatlus | 11 m | 0.182× | The largest flying animal known |
| Cessna 172 | 11 m | 0.182× | |
| Boeing 747 | 68.4 m | 1/34.2 |
Worth knowing
- A wandering albatross can glide for hours without flapping, covering 1 000 km a day on a 3.5 m wingspan.
- Quetzalcoatlus had the wingspan of a small aeroplane and probably weighed only about 250 kg — it was mostly air.
Frequently asked
What bird has the largest wingspan?
The wandering albatross, at up to 3.7 m. The Andean condor is heavier but slightly narrower.
Why can’t birds be bigger?
Because the power needed to fly rises faster than the muscle available as an animal scales up. Above roughly 20 kg, takeoff from level ground becomes impossible.