This Bird Soars Higher Than Jet Planes!

[Article déjà publié le 30 mars 2025]

The sky, before becoming the playing field of man and his planes, is above all, the kingdom of birds. At low or very high altitude, these animals, small or large, roam the earth stealing, and for some on foot, on thousands of kilometers during their life. But among them, who are the champions of altitude and especially who is the bird that flies the highest?

No ostriches or hens in the ranking

Inevitably, when you get down to making a classification of birds that fly the highest, some specimens are disqualified automatically … because they do not know how to fly. Indeed, even if they are provided with wings, chickens, ostriches, emeus, penguins and, fire, dodos, are birds, more or less large which, unlike their cousins, have not taken their flight.

Thus, in the same way that certain fish can survive out of the water, some birds do not fly. Their altitude is therefore certainly the lowest ever recorded. Finally, if we take level 0 as the ground. Because some birds, are excellent divers in water and can therefore bring the bar of level 0 down below the surface of the sea.

A bird flying higher than a airliner

Man entered the kingdom of heaven and was inspired by its inhabitants to become one of the masters. However, it is clear that nature still has its rights in its sky.

Thus, when we talk about theft at high altitude, no bird arrives at the ankle of the vulture of Rüppel (Rueppelli gyps). With its meter long, it impresses with its 2.6 -meter wingspan, its relatively light weight exceeding 9 kilos allows it to reach peaks.

Indeed, the highest flight ever recorded for this bird is 11,300 meters. It is higher than the average cruising altitude of an airliner which is usually around 10,000 meters. If it is not representative enough, tell yourself that Everest peaks at 8,848 meters.

Living in colony and from the Sahel in Africa, this bird is a scavenger which does not hesitate to travel great distances, more than 100 kilometers, in one day to find food. All while going relatively slowly since it can move at a maximum speed of 35 km/h.

Some other birds flying high

By taking an airliner or Everest as a scale, you can easily realize that some birds are regulars of very high altitudes.

Thus, if the vulture of Rüppel is the undisputed king of altitude, other birds follow his wing:

• The ash crane ( Grus Grus )) With a maximum altitude identified of 10,000 meters in the Himalayas.
• Tigrated or headed goose ( ANSER INDICUS )) which with its 8,800 meters high in flight could land a few tens of meters from the Pic de l'Everest.
• The singer swan ( Cygnus Cygnus )) Descend below the largest mountain in the world, but can still fly over the Mont-Blanc (4809 meters) by managing to fly up to 8,200 meters.
• The yellow spout ( Corvidae )) Which is a passer-up to fly around 4000 meters above sea level, which is already impressive, has already been observed more than 8,000 meters above the ground.
• The bearded gypatus ( Barbatus gypetus ))another vulture which flies much lower than its illustrious cousin of the Sahel. Indeed, the latter who can still have a wingspan of almost 3 meters can fly up to 7,300 meters.
• The Andes Condor ( VULTUR GRYPHUS )) A real icon in South America, it is a very large bird which can have a scale up to 3.5 meters and fly over 6,500 meters.
• Le Canard Colvert ( Anas platyrhynchos )) Can fly up to 6,400 meters above the ground.