Ask A Scientist Zoology Archive

name         Chad G.
status       other
age          30s

Question -   What is the highest flying bird?
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I am not aware of any documentation for regularly occurring highest flying
species; the greatest altitude documented as of the mid 1980's was a
Ruppell's griffon, an African vulture, struck by an airliner at 37,000 feet.
Another vulture, a lammergeyer was seen over "its mountain home" at 25,000
feet over Mt. Everest; alpine choughs have been recorded nesting at 27,000
feet on Mt. Everest. A mallard was struck by an airliner at 21,000 feet over
Nevada. Records of smaller birds, also from hitting airplanes, are mostly
from 7,000 to 12,000 feet. See Terres, Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North
American Birds.

J. Elliott
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