Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are interesting species that remain at the top of the food chain owing to their unique features and skills. Condors and vultures rank among the ten biggest raptors on the planet; just their status as birds of prey is debatable among ornithologists and biologists both. The list covers some of the biggest raptors, such as the largest flying bird of prey and one of the largest raptors alive today. The list also contains the biggest and most powerful raptors alive, such as the Andean and California condors. Here is a list of 10 of the biggest birds of prey in ascending order.
A bird of prey is a bird that hunts and eats other animals for food. They are apex predators, meaning they have no natural predators.
The Haast’s eagle (Hieraaetus Moorei) was the largest eagle that ever lived. It lived in New Zealand until about 700 years ago.
The Andean condor (Vulturgryphus) is the largest bird of prey in the world. It’s a New World vulture that lives in the Andes mountains of South America.
The Andean condor is a bird of prey that can live up to 50 years in the wild. In captivity, some Andean condors have lived to be over 70 years old.
Top 10 Largest Birds of Prey in the world
Explore the Top 10 Largest Birds of Prey in the World, with majestic raptors like the Andean Condor and the Philippine Eagle, known for their impressive wingspans and hunting prowess.
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Andean Condor
The Andean condor (Vulturgryphus) is one of the biggest birds of prey in the world and is a heavy-flying bird with a wingspan of up to 10.8 feet. Located in the Andes highlands and Pacific beaches of western South America, it is largely a scavenger, eating on carrion and playing a significant role in their ecosystems. The condor’s enormous wingspan enables it to soar far over the Andes, employing thermal updrafts for minimal power use. Its black and white plumage is cherished in local communities as emblems of strength and health.
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California Condor
The California Condor is probably on the verge of extinction and is one of the largest raptors in the world. Wingspan up to 9.5 feet. It usually eats dead animals, and its acute eyesight enables it to discover food from far out. The Andean Condor is the second largest bird of prey in the world, especially possibly its largest flying bird in South America.
Both species are scavengers that consume the remnants of deceased animals but are endangered by humans, lead poisoning, ecosystem loss, and killing. The Andean Condor, although somewhat shorter, is bigger and has an even greater wingspan. Both species have bare heads and necks, which makes it snap to force their heads into the innards of decaying corpses.
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cinereous vulture
The cinereous vulture is sometimes known as the black vulture. Its size ranks it as the third biggest bird of prey in the world and also one of the heaviest flying birds. They can attain a wingspan of up to 10 feet & a weight of up to 30 pounds. The vulture loves mountainous habitats with woods, grazing pastures, or cork oak woodlands and nests on mountains in inaccessible sites.
Its diet consists of scavengers, consuming the remains of medium- to large-sized wild and domestic animals. The Cinereous Vulture is one of the largest raptors in the world, known for its powerful body and ability to hunt food over broad territory. It is one of the largest and most powerful raptors living.
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Lappet-faced Vulture
The lappet-faced vulture ranks as one of the top birds of prey and has a wingspan of 8-9.5 feet & a body length of 37-45 inches. It weighs approximately the fourth biggest bird on average and is common throughout Africa, primarily in dry and semi-arid environments. The vulture is famous for its unique fleshy folds of skin around its face and its sharp beak, which can break apart resistant skin and muscle of dead animals.
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It is also one of the biggest raptors in the world and one of the largest flying birds of prey. The vulture is known for its aggressive demeanor, sometimes taking over corpses from lesser vultures to feast on carrion. It is solitary, nesting in small groups, and maintains vast home ranges. However, it is threatened owing to poisoning, persecution, and habitat changes.
The martial eagle
The martial eagle ranks as one of the biggest birds of prey and is a top predator in Africa. It has a length of wings of up to 8 ft 6 in. It may grow up to 37 inches long and weigh up to 14 pounds, so it’s one of the largest raptors in the world. The martial eagle is known for its large head, short crest, and robust beak and utilizes diverse hunting strategies, notably stooping down from a distance, gliding through tree foliage, and lying in ambush.
Its habitat includes broad plains to deep woods, and it requires extensive territories because of its size and predatory demands. The most powerful raptors in the world, especially the African condor and the Martial Eagle, are among the largest birds of prey, with their hunting skills ranging from breathtaking dives to tremendous attacks.
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The Steller's Sea Eagle
The Steller’s Sea Eagle actually a giant eagle and sea eagle native to North Asia. This species is one of the most massive birds of prey on planet earth. It can achieve a wingspan of up to 8.2 feet and weighs up to 20 pounds. There mostly eats on fish and birds using its claws.
The bird’s loud vocalizations and colorful, piebald feathers give it a striking look in its native environment. They can be considered one of the world’s largest predators, especially one of the biggest flying birds of prey that they catch The Steller’s Sea Eagle ranks among the top 10 biggest birds of prey in the world.
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The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetusalbicilla)
The white-tailed eagle can be additionally known as just the sea eagle and is considered one of the biggest birds of prey in the world. Species can be located in Europe, Asia, Greenland, Iceland, and the Pacific. It features a wingspan of up to 8 feet and a weight of up to 15 pounds.
It is recognized for its rapidity in the air and mostly feeds on fish. The white-tailed eagle is also known for its predatory diet, which may include birds and small animals. It has conservation status in many countries, especially Norway, the UK, and Ireland, and can be found on CITES Appendix I and II and CMS Appendix I and II. The white-tailed eagle was one of the most dangerous predators in the world.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
The golden eagle provides a large bird of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, normally found throughout North America and Europe. Its wingspan is the fifth largest among extant eagle species, and this species is especially well known for its golden feathers on its neck, hooked beak, broad chest, and larger wings and tail than the white-tailed eagle. The golden eagle is found in open, dry, and semi-arid mountainous environments, semi-open mountainous forests with rocky slopes, and heathland and moorland.
Size:
- Wingspan: 6–7 ft 3 in
- Length: 2 ft 3 in–2 ft 9 in
- Weight: 7–14 lbs
Their diet consists of rabbits, mountain hares, foxes, grouses, crows, gulls, and carrion. Its habit involves flying on steady wings, diving in search of food, battling off coyotes or bears, and constructing large nests. The golden eagle is respected in numerous cultures and is known for its ability to fly quickly.
Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
The wedge-tailed eagle species is a large bird of prey widespread near Australia. This is known for its long, wedge-shaped tail. Adults can grow from 3.5 to 4.3 feet in length & achieve a wingspan of 7.5 to 9.5 feet. They eat on rabbits, hares, and other kinds of small to medium-sized animals, but also may at times hunt down larger prey like kangaroos in places with scarcer, smaller prey.
The eagle is monogamous and territorial, hunting alone, in couples, or in groups. They eat on carrion, especially rabbits, hares, lizards, birds, small animals, kangaroos, and pigs. Found all throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania, except for southern New Guinea, the eagle ranks as one of the biggest raptors in the world.
