Compare birds by height
9 birds, from an ostrich down to a king penguin, each saying what was measured and who published it. Open one to compare it with your height.
Ranked from the tallest: animals measured standing and animals measured at the shoulder.
9 heights in this selection. Sorting ranks this selection only; it does not identify world records. Equal listings share a height.
Drawn to one scale; the dashed line is 5 ft 9 in, the average US man.
- Cormorant2 ft 7 in
- Emperor penguin3 ft 9 in
- Emu6 ft 3 in
- Great egret3 ft 3.5 in
- Greater flamingo3 ft 7.5 in–4 ft 11 in
- King penguin2 ft 3.5 in–3 ft 3.5 in
- Ostrich6 ft 6.5 in
- Southern cassowary4 ft 11 in–5 ft 11 in
- Wood stork3 ft 0 in
Emperor penguin
up to 45 in (114.3 cm)
An emperor penguin stands up to 45 in (114.3 cm) from the ground to the head (adult attainable height).
Great egret
up to 3 ft 3.5 in (100 cm)
A great egret stands up to 3 ft 3.5 in (100 cm) from the ground to the head.
Greater flamingo
110 to 150 cm (3 ft 7.5 in to 4 ft 11 in)
A greater flamingo stands 110 to 150 cm (3 ft 7.5 in to 4 ft 11 in) from the ground to the head.
King penguin
70 to 100 cm (2 ft 3.5 in to 3 ft 3.5 in)
A king penguin stands 70 to 100 cm (2 ft 3.5 in to 3 ft 3.5 in) from the ground to the head.
Ostrich
over 6 ft 6.5 in (200 cm)
An ostrich stands over 6 ft 6.5 in (200 cm) from the ground to the head (adult males).
Southern cassowary
1.5 to 1.8 m (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in)
A southern cassowary stands 1.5 to 1.8 m (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in) from the ground to the top of its casque.
Wood stork
over 3 ft 0 in (91.4 cm)
A wood stork stands over 3 ft 0 in (91.4 cm) from the ground to the head.
From a listing to your lineup
Open a name to see its measurement context and any reported range. A famous comparison puts two published listings together immediately. For your own numbers, use the height difference calculator.
When two listings disagree, compare the measurement conditions before picking a value.