Largest bird (living)

The largest living bird is the ostrich (Struthio camelus) native to sub-Saharan Africa. Males of this flightless ratite have been recorded standing up to 9 ft (2.74 m) tall and weighing 345 lb (156.4 kg).

Ostriches boast several superlative avian features including the longest neck on a bird - 0.9 m (3 ft) - and the largest eyes of any land animal, with an eyeball diameter of up to 5 cm (2 in).

Ostriches are also the fastest birds on land, their long, powerful legs able to propel them up to 72 km/h (45 mph) at full sprint.

Header image: Frans van Heerden / Pexels