Long and narrow versus short and broad bird wings.īirds with narrow and long wings (long wingspans) typically do little flapping while flying. The common and familiar red-tailed hawk’s wingspan range of 3 ft 5 in to 4 ft 8 in, is included as a reference. With a wingspan range of 5 ft 2 in – 6 ft, the Turkey vulture comes fourth, followed by the osprey with a wingspan range of 5 ft to 6 ft. The golden and bald eagle share second place with a wingspan ranging between 5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in and 5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in, respectively. With a wingspan ranging from 8.99–10.17 ft, the California Condor is clearly the North American Bird with the longest wingspan. The average wingspan of a bald eagle and other birds of prey in the table below (in parentheses) is obtained from the wingspan ranges for each species given in the literature. When foraging for food, though, bald eagles can engage in flight that involves active and vigorous wing flapping as they swoop fish near the surface of the water or chase after other birds to take their food. A bald eagle can also spend long periods of time soaring without flapping its wings.

These birds can spend long periods of time soaring and gliding effortlessly.Ī bald eagle’s wingspan and shape are ideal for combining gliding with a flight that involves wing flapping. The top five birds with the longest wingspans have long and narrow wings suitable for maintaining flight without or with little wing flapping.īirds like the California condor and turkey vulture have special tendons that allow them to “lock” their extended wings. The bald eagle shares a second place on the list with the golden eagle, which has nearly the same wingspan. The bald eagle’s wingspan is the second-longest among the top 5 largest North American flying birds. The bald eagle wingspan compared to other birds of prey. The common and familiar red-tailed hawk is added as a reference. The five top species of North American landbirds with the longest wingspans. Some ornithologists obtain an approximation of a bird’s wingspan by taking the length between the middle of the bird’s back to the tip of one wing fully stretched. Keeping their wings spread long enough to take an accurate measurement can be a challenge. The wingspan can also be obtained from live birds, particularly small ones. A bird’s wings are extended to the maximum extent possible to obtain the length between the wingtips before the specimen gets cold and rigid. How is a bird’s wingspan measured?Ī bird’s wingspan is generally obtained from birds that have been collected for scientific research purposes. The wingspan of birds ranges from a few inches in small birds to 12 feet (144 inches) in the wandering albatross. A slightly larger songbird has shorter but much broader wings adapted for life in the foliage of trees. A tiny hummingbird has long and narrow wings suitable for hovering and acrobatic flight. There are over 9,000 species of birds in the world, each with its ideal wingspan. Figuratively speaking, the wingspan is also used to indicate athletes’ arm breath, particularly in sports, such as basketball, where arm reach and length are important. The concept of wingspan is also used as a measure of airplane size. A bald eagle’s wingspan is the length between the wingtips of its spread-out wings.

Largest raptor bird