World's Largest Flying Bird Had 24-Foot Wingspan

Pelagornis sandersi has replaced Argentavis as the largest flying bird known. Courtesy Liz Bradford With a wingspan double that of today's largest flyers, Pelagornis sandersi was truly the Big Bird of its day. Researchers describing fossil remains of P. sandersi for the first time say the bird had a wingspan of up to 24 feet, qualifying it as the largest flying bird ever to take to Earth's skies. Its size exceeds some estimates for the limits of powered flight, though computer models based on the well-preserved skeleton suggest the animal was an excellent glider. In a paper published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers theorize the bird flew long oceanic distances in search of prey, similar to today's albatrosses.