Highest-flying bird
The current highest-flying bird record is 37,073 ft, held by Rüppell's vulture, set on November 29, 1973. Last checked October 9, 2026.
37,073
ft
Rüppell's vulture
- Holder
- Rüppell's vulture
- Record
- 37,073 ft
- Metric
- 11.3 km
- Exact figure
- 11,300 m (37,000 ft)
- Location
- Over Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Date set
- November 29, 1973
- Last checked
- October 9, 2026
Put it in perspective
At 37,073 ft, it is 25.5 times the height of the Empire State Building.
305 ftStatue of Liberty, with pedestal
456 ftGreat Pyramid of Giza
1,083 ftEiffel Tower
1,454 ftEmpire State Building
37,073 ftRüppell's vulture
Sources
Spotted an error or a newer record? Use the form below with a source link.
Spotted something out of date?
More birds records
-
Birds 8,426 miles Longest non-stop bird flight tracked Bar-tailed godwit · Alaska to Tasmania See record ↗ -
Birds 12′ 1.7″ Largest wingspan of any living bird Wandering albatross · Southern Ocean See record ↗ -
Birds 2.2 in Smallest bird Bee hummingbird (male) · Cuba See record ↗ -
Birds 59,652 miles Longest bird migration tracked in one year Arctic tern · Farne Islands, UK to Antarctic waters and back See record ↗