Highest Flying Bird: Interesting Facts You May Not Know

People are fascinated with birds and their ability to fly.

That is probably why we are so envious of birds. They fly high in the sky so effortlessly.

Just how high can these birds fly? We see certain birds like a speck due to the high altitudes they fly through. Some go the southern way and others the northern way, but all of them seem to be too high to care. Among the highest flying birds in the world, who tops the list? No more curious questions. Let us dive deeper into the world of the highest-flying birds. Afterward, do read about the longest nose and longest river in the world, here on Kidadl.

List Of Birds That Fly The Highest

What are some of the highest-flying birds in the world? Some birds can easily reach a high altitude. Let us see who these birds are.

The Andean condor seen in the Andes mountains in South America can reach up to 20,000 ft (6,096 m) effortlessly. An Andean condor lives in high mountain regions. The national bird of Chile, Columbia, Bhutan, and Ecuador is an Andean condor. The white stork, with its distinctive long neck, can go up to 16,000 ft (4,876 m). The white stork is a migrant bird that spends winter in Africa. We can see large flocks of this white stork during their migration. The bar-tailed godwit is also a strong migrant who is seen in Alaska and Siberia. Bar-tailed godwits spend their winters in Australia and New Zealand. These bar-tailed godwit flying bird species can reach up to an altitude of 20,000 ft (6,096 m). They can also go on long-distance migration without resting compared to other species.

A mallard is a duck found in North America and Europe. Mallard species are known to be flying around an altitude of 21,000 ft (6400 m). Mallard ducks have attractive green heads.

The bearded vulture is among some of the large vultures that live in the mountains of southern Europe. A bearded vulture is capable of flying at an altitude of 24,000 ft (7,315 m) from the ground.

The Alpine chough is a bird seen in the high mountains of southern Europe and Central Asia. The Alpine chough has incredible flight skills and sails effortlessly around the highest mountain peaks. The Alpine chough can also reach up to 26,500 ft (8077 m) in altitude.

The Whooper swan is a migratory bird seen mostly in Northern Europe and Asia. During migration, a whooper swan will fly at an altitude of 8,000 ft (2,438 m), but these whooper swan birds can take the flight at a high altitude of 27,000 ft (8,230 m).

The Bar-headed goose is also a migratory bird that can fly up to 29,000 ft (8,840 m) which is higher than Mount Everest. They are from central Asia. They can easily fly over the Himalayas since their flight goes higher than the mountains in the Himalayas.

The common crane that we see can have a flight of 33,000 ft (10,058 m). The Common crane is the second-highest flying bird in the world. The common crane species are seen in the northern part of Europe and Asia. The Ruppell's griffon vulture, also known as the highest flying bird in the world, flies at an altitude of 37,000 ft (11,277 m). They are seen in the Sahel region of Central Africa.

When it comes to eagles, the bald eagle can fly the highest at altitudes of over 15,000 ft (4572 m). This is the highest that an eagle can fly.

What is the highest flying bird in the world?

Some of the highest-flying birds and their recorded flight have been discussed already. Among these birds, the Ruppel's griffon vulture is the highest flying bird ever recorded in the world. This bird is from a family of vultures.

The oxygen presence is very low in high altitudes. The body of a Ruppel's griffon vulture is equipped with a special type of hemoglobin that makes oxygen absorption easier. The wingspan of these vultures is around 8.2 ft (2.5 m). Even Mount Everest is not an issue for this vulture. The vulture family is known for its great skills in flying. The Ruppel's griffon vulture holds the family genes and is the greatest flying bird compared to all other species. The wingspan and the overall body facilitate this flying ability in this bird. Hailing from central Africa, this bird finds an elevation of 37,000 ft (11,277 m) a piece of cake. They are also seen in east Africa too.

How high can a bar-headed goose fly?

The bar-headed goose is a migratory bird that can fly to high altitudes. These birds are among the highest flying birds in the world.

The bar-headed goose is a species of bird seen in central Asia and South Asia. These species have high lung capacity compared to other swans. Unlike other swans, these birds can fly up to 29,000 ft (8,840 m) above the ground. They have a wingspan of 4.95 ft (1.5 m). They are seen in high-altitude lakes. The high-altitude lakes of central Asia are their common living place. These species breed in thousands in the mountain lakes. During the winter, these species migrate to the south. Flying at high altitudes and for long distances is easy for these bird species. The name bar-headed is due to the two dark bars around their head.

What is the average height of a bird flight?

We have come across some of the highest-flying birds in the world and seen how high these birds can fly. Some birds can even surpass the world’s highest mountain, while others can't even come near it. Generally speaking, what is the average height that a bird can fly up to?

Most birds prefer flying below 500 ft (152 m) unless they are migrating. It is during the migration period that most birds take to high altitudes for flight. While the Ruppel's griffon vulture from Africa can take on high altitudes fairly easily, the approximate height that most of the birds are able to tackle seems to be around 10,000-13,000 ft (3048-3962 m) above the ground. Normally birds do not go this much high up in their flight. Migratory birds are the ones that raise this average height by this much due to their high flight during migration.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the highest flying bird, then why not take a look at the longest toenails or toucan facts.