Which Bird Is the Strongest? It’s Not the Biggest One on the List

Quick Take

• One bird on this list weighs just 3 pounds yet carries prey three times its own body weight, outperforming eagles twice its size. See the 3-pound powerhouse →
• The world's most famous eagle doesn't crack the top five, and the bird that beats it might just surprise you. See where the bald eagle ranks →
• One raptor has been recorded carrying 165% of its own body weight, a feat so remarkable that it challenges what scientists thought was physically possible for birds. See the record-breaking carry →
• Not all of the strongest birds are eagles, and the non-eagle entries on this list carry more weight relative to their size than most eagles. Meet the non-eagle entries →

Some birds are incredibly strong for their size and can lift surprisingly heavy objects. However, do you know which birds can handle the heaviest loads? These amazing birds are among the strongest in the world based on their ability to lift animals and objects that are sometimes heavier than their own body weight. If you know anything about birds, it should come as no surprise that the ones on our list are all birds of prey. It’s hard to match the strength of eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls. Explore the 10 strongest birds on Earth and discover how much weight they can lift.

10. Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)

The gyrfalcon is the biggest falcon species. They can reach up to approximately 25 inches in length with a wingspan of 4-5 feet. They weigh up to 4.6 pounds, with males weighing only around two-thirds of the female’s weight.

Gyrfalcons live in the Arctic, hunting mainly medium- to large birds, including ptarmigan, waterfowl, pheasants, and even other falcons. Although they can kill larger prey, they cannot carry it back to their nests, so they regularly tear a kill into smaller pieces. These falcons are estimated to carry up to 5 pounds.

9. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Golden eagles measure approximately 28-33 inches with a wingspan of up to 7 feet. They weigh 13.5 pounds, with some northern birds growing slightly larger. Males are noticeably smaller than females. Golden eagles live throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. In the U.S., they are more common in the west.

Golden eagles primarily prey on ground squirrels, hares, and birds. They can kill larger animals, but like the bald eagle, they are only capable of carrying up to around 4 pounds. They may be able to carry more weight if they are already in the air and swoop down to snatch their prey.

8. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Bald eagles are among the largest, most powerful raptors in North America. These birds measure approximately 28-38 inches, with a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet and a weight of 8 to 14 pounds. Females are around 25% larger than males. The largest population of bald eagles lives in Alaska, but these birds also live throughout the continental U.S.

Although their diet consists mainly of fish, bald eagles also prey on waterfowl, small mammals, crustaceans, and carrion. Experts estimate they can carry up to 4 pounds, depending on wing size and momentum, as greater air speed allows them to carry more weight. There are also anecdotes of bald eagles carrying heavier objects, but these have not yet been proven.

7. Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo Bubo)

The Eurasian eagle-owl is the largest nocturnal bird of prey on Earth. They are native to the wooded and rocky hills of Europe and Asia. Eurasian eagle-owls grow up to 30 inches tall and weigh from 3 to 10 pounds, with females being larger. They have a wingspan of up to 6 feet.

These owls generally feed on small mammals such as mice, rats, voles, and hares. However, they also feed on other birds, fish, and larger animals such as foxes. They are able to carry prey up to 6.6 pounds back to their nests.

6. White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

The white-tailed eagle is native to Eurasia, with most of the population in Norway and Russia. It is the largest European eagle. Among eagles worldwide, the white-tailed eagle ranks fourth in size and weight, measuring 26-37 inches and weighing up to 15 pounds. Their wingspan can reach approximately 8 feet.

White-tailed eagles live along the coasts and hunt mainly fish, water birds, and small mammals. These birds also scavenge and steal food from other raptors. They prey on small- to medium-sized animals weighing up to 6.6 pounds, with larger prey taken only occasionally.

5. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Great horned owls are among the strongest owls on Earth. They live in dense forests and open woodlands throughout North and South America. They measure up to 24 inches in length and weigh from 2 to 5.5 pounds, with northern species and females being larger. Their wingspan can reach up to 5 feet.

Great horned owls primarily hunt for small- to medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, woodchucks, and opossums. They also hunt for waterfowl like ducks and geese, other raptors, reptiles, and amphibians. They can carry prey much heavier than themselves, with a 3-pound individual reported to be able to carry prey up to 8-9 pounds.

4. Pallas’s Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)

Pallas’s fish-eagle can be found in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains during the breeding season, with some birds migrating to Mongolia and northeast China outside of the breeding season. They measure 28-33 inches long with a wingspan of over 7 feet. These eagles weigh up to approximately 8 pounds, with females being slightly larger.

These eagles have been recorded to carry weights of up to 13 pounds, which is 165% of their body weight. They primarily feed on fish and waterfowl, but these birds will also hunt small mammals and reptiles. Pallas’s fish-eagle is also known to scavenge carcasses and steal food from other birds of prey.

3. Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)

Philippine eagles are widely cited as the largest eagles in the world by length and wing surface. They can stand up to 40 inches tall with a wingspan of around 7 feet. These eagles weigh 10-18 pounds, with females being larger. They are native to the Philippines, where they can be found on the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.

These eagles prey on mammals such as bats, flying lemurs, monkeys, palm civets, and flying squirrels, as well as reptiles and birds, including owls and other birds of prey. Although some sources have reported they can carry up to 12kg (26 pounds), most experts think this is unlikely. Their largest prey and the only monkey in the Philippines is the Philippine long-tailed macaque, which only weighs up to 18 pounds.

2. Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)

The harpy eagle is one of the strongest birds on Earth. This large bird of prey lives in tropical forests throughout Central and South America. Harpy eagles are apex predators at the top of the food chain, weighing up to 20 pounds, with females being larger. They stand 35-41 inches tall, with a wingspan of up to 6.5 feet.

While some sources claim these birds can lift twice their own weight, most experts believe they can carry up to around 17 pounds, although some large individuals are believed to be able to carry prey up to around 20 pounds. This eagle uses its strong talons to capture sloths and monkeys from the forest canopy.

1. Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)

The Steller’s sea eagle is one of the largest eagles in the world. This raptor is widely cited as the heaviest eagle, weighing up to 21 pounds, with females being larger. It measures 34-41 inches in length, with a wingspan that can reach just over 8 feet.

Steller’s sea eagles inhabit rocky seacoasts and rivers from northeastern Siberia south to Korea and Japan. Similar to other fish-eating birds of prey, Steller’s sea eagles have hooked talons with spiky soles on their feet to keep fish from slipping from their grasp. Although they primarily eat fish, they have been observed feeding on animals as large as seals. These eagles can carry objects up to 20 pounds.