Big Birds Trivia Quiz

Answer: Trumpeter swan

The trumpeter swan's wingspan can reach 8 to 10 feet! Native to North America, they used to be endangered but are making a comeback. A trumpeter can weigh as much as 25 pounds, so it takes some work to get off the ground and fly, but they can and do with enough room to run and get up to speed.

In Europe and Asia, a swan known as the whooper swan very nearly matches the trumpeter swan in size and weight.

Answer: Andean condor

The Andean condor does indeed live in the Andes Mountains, but it also resides near the coastline to the west. Because it is so heavy (one can weigh over 30 pounds), this condor often relies on thermals and other air currents (like ocean breezes) to help it stay aloft without an excessive expenditure of energy. It has the one of the largest wingspans of any bird.

Andean condors only produce one egg every other year. Both parents spend a year caring for their young.

They are considered endangered. According to National Geographic, only a few thousand remain as of this writing in 2015.

Answer: Blakiston's fish owl

Blakiston's fish owls inhabit areas along rivers in Asia since their primary fare consists of fish and amphibians. They mate for life. They hunt on the ground looking for motion in the water, and can actually make trails along riverbanks. They also hunt by wading through shallow water.

They are an endangered species, although not listed as critically endangered as of this writing in 2015.

Answer: Emu

Emus, who are endemic to Australia, and their kin, ostriches, are "ratites"-a class of large birds who can run but cannot fly. Emus are second-largest to ostriches in height, but another Australian bird, the cassowary, is second to the ostrich in terms of weight.

In addition to the three living ratites mentioned above, South America is home to the rhea, and New Zealand to the smallest of the group, the kiwi.

The largest bird ever discovered, the "elephant bird" of Madagascar, was a ratite which is now extinct, but is believed to have been over 9 feet tall, weighing up to half a ton.

Answer: Emperor

The emperor penguin is both the tallest and heaviest of all penguins. It is an Antarctic species, standing up to four feet tall and weighing up to 80 pounds. They breed during Antarctic winter and the males incubate the eggs for a couple of months while females hunt, eat, and gain weight to nurture the chicks after they hatch. If a female is late returning, adult males can actually feed their offspring for a limited time after the egg hatches, by secreting a form of milk from their esophagi!

Answer: Hyacinth macaw

The hyacinth macaw is a spectacular shade of intense blue and can reach a full-grown length of about a meter. It lives primarily in the rainforests of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil, but is also found in swamplands and marshes.

The bird has been extensively hunted for its value in the pet trade, and for its feathers, which are used in artwork by some indigenous people in Brazil. These factors, in concert with habitat loss, have resulted in its becoming endangered.

Answer: Ivory-billed woodpecker

There was a flurry of sightings of the bird in 2004 and 2005, all in the same small area of Arkansas, but the single videotape settled the matter for many birders.

Confirmation or no, there are still those in ornithological circles who doubt that the woodpecker caught on tape was an ivory-billed. A separate audio tape purporting to have caught its characteristic double-peck pattern has also been called into some question, but the bird is currently listed as an endangered, not extinct, species.

The bird has a strong white beak, not actually made of ivory, that it uses to tear the bark off dead trees, exposing their favorite food, beetle larvae.

Answer: Giant hummingbird

The giant hummingbird weighs in at under one ounce, with a wingspan that may reach over 8 inches. Immense, no?

They are found in the Andes of South America. They do migrate to warmer areas in winter and cooler, more temperate ones in summer, but do not leave the continent.

The photo depicts a giant sequoia tree.

Answer: Undertaker

The undertaker stork inhabits sub-Saharan Africa. Some experts say it has the biggest wingspan of any bird, although that assertion is open to question. It has been confirmed to have a wingspan of over 10 feet, however.

The bird apparently reminded some of an undertaker when seen from behind, hence the nickname - its black wings give it the appearance of being cloaked and its spindly white legs protruding out from under the "cloak" are reminiscent of a skinny old man. The bird sometimes sports a ruff of white hair on the back of its head to complete the old man look.

Answer: Dalmatian pelican

The Dalmatian pelican's habitat is roughly from Greece to eastern China, with a concentration in Middle Eastern countries. Pelicans are water birds, and this one exists more in fresh water locations than saltwater. It has some habitat-related challenges as a species, and its numbers have undergone depletion by fishermen, but in some areas in recent years its population appears to be on the increase.