The Largest Birds in North America

Most of the birds we encounter daily are small songbirds. They twitter through our gardens and backyards, calling to each other while looking for food. We rarely see the giant birds that soar over open water or perch in towering trees on majestic mountains. The behemoths of the flying world are typically birds of prey that lead solitary lives or waterfowl that nest on isolated islands away from humans. So we don’t always have the opportunity to appreciate just how impressive they are. Read on to learn more about the largest birds in North America by both wingspan and weight, including where to find them and just how large they can grow.

10. Canada Goose

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) inhabit a variety of open grassland habitats near water. They can be found across North America, from the Arctic to as far south as Mexico. These geese grow to 3.6 feet in length with wingspans of 5.6 feet. They generally weigh up to 13.5 pounds. While some populations of geese live in the U.S. year-round, others are migratory, flying from the southern U.S. and Mexico to their breeding grounds in Canada in their characteristic V-formation.

9. Brown Pelican

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) can be found in coastal marine environments on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S., down to northern South America, as well as along the Gulf coasts. These birds can grow to lengths of 4.5 feet and weigh up to 11 pounds. The brown pelican has a large wingspan reaching up to 6.5 feet. These birds were once near extinction due to pesticide poisoning, but have since recovered, and their populations are now stable.

8. Sandhill Crane

Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are tall birds reaching about 4.5 feet with a wingspan of around 6.5 feet. They weigh up to 12 pounds. During the summer, sandhill cranes can be found in Canada and the northern and southeastern U.S. Migratory populations winter in Mexico, Texas, and Florida. They prefer open wetland environments near trees and shrubs, and they also tend to gather together in large flocks. Sandhill cranes are believed to be the most populous crane species in the world.

7. Golden Eagle

Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are the most widely distributed eagle species in the Northern Hemisphere. They are also renowned for being among the largest, fastest, and most agile birds in the world. On average, the golden eagle reaches 2.75 feet long, weighs 13.5 pounds, and has a 7-foot wingspan. Their range in North America includes Canada, the United States, and Mexico, where they primarily inhabit riverside cliffs, canyons, and open mountain regions at elevations up to 12,000 feet.

6. Bald Eagle

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are majestic birds that have officially represented the United States since 1782. It is also the most common eagle in the country and the only eagle species native only to North America. Females tend to be larger than males, reaching about 3 feet in length, with a weight of 14 pounds and a wingspan up to 8 feet. However, bald eagles in Alaska have been documented weighing up to 16 pounds. These giant birds can also carry up to 108% of their body weight in optimal conditions. Bald eagles are found throughout Canada, the United States, and Northern Mexico near large bodies of open water, nesting in old-growth trees.

5. Whooping Crane

At heights of around 5 feet, the whooping crane (Grus americana) is the tallest bird on the continent. Whooping cranes can weigh up to 15 pounds and have a wingspan of over 7 feet. They prefer shallow wetlands and grasslands. Their summer breeding grounds are in Canada, and they primarily spend winters in Texas. However, captive breeding programs have established crane populations in Florida and Louisiana, including one group that was taught to migrate from Florida to Wisconsin using ultralight aircraft.

4. American White Pelican

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are enormous waterbirds that can weigh up to 20 pounds. These pelicans can also grow to over 5 feet in length, and they have a 9-foot wingspan. They breed in the Northern Great Plains and migrate farther south to Central America, where they spend their winters. They can be found nesting in shallow wetlands and wintering along coasts and bays. American white pelicans also forage in shallow water that may be 30 miles from their nesting sites.

3. Trumpeter Swan

The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest living species of waterfowl, as well as the heaviest flying bird in North America. They can weigh over 25 pounds and grow up to 5 feet in length. These massive birds have a 6.6-foot wingspan. They are so large, they require at least 100 yards of an open water runway to generate enough speed for liftoff. Trumpeter swans can be found in Canada, Alaska, the Northwest, the Northern Rockies, and the Midwest and Great Lakes region. They live in wetlands during spring and summer and in coastal and inland waters during winter.

2. Turkey

The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the largest bird in North America by weight. They are primarily found in woodlands and grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains. Wild turkeys can stand 4 feet tall and reach nearly 38 pounds, but most males generally grow to about 25 pounds. Wild turkeys have a wingspan of about 5 feet, and smaller birds are able to fly. However, they rarely fly more than 300 feet. Domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus) are raised for their meat, with the average weight being 41 pounds.

1. California Condor

With an incredible 9.5-foot wingspan, the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest flying terrestrial bird on the North American continent. These New World vultures can also weigh up to 25 pounds and grow to lengths of 4.6 feet. The condor has had a complicated history with humans, becoming nearly extinct in the wild due to lead ingestion from ammunition fragments in animal carcasses it consumes. Today, they are still listed as endangered, but small populations live in several coastal and southwestern states, including California, Arizona, and Utah. Their habitats include rocky, forested areas like mountains and canyons.