21-foot wingspan: Newly discovered world's largest bird dwarfs anything alive today

Fossils dug up by scientists suggest that prehistoric birds that lived 25m years ago were the largest so far discovered throughout history.

18:10 08 July 2014

Fossilised bones that were dug up during the expansion of an airport terminal in the United States suggest that they belong to the largest flying bird ever found.

The bird named Pelagornis sandersi is believed to have lived 25million years ago, had a wingspan twice that of the royal albatross and can glide for long distances over the oceans.

Of the prehistoric creature which had a wingspan of between 6.1 and 7.4 metres, Daniel Ksepka at North Carolina State University said: "This was a remarkable fossil, almost like something out of Game of Thrones. Its mouth was filled with bony spikes that gave it the menacing look of a dragon.”

He added that the remains of larger flying birds may yet be found. "I wouldn't be surprised if something a little bit larger was found some time down the line. I don't think we'll be pushing 10-metre wingspans, but a little bit bigger.”

The remains of the bird, which include shoulder blade, skull, wing bones, and hollow leg were unearthed near the Charleston airport back in 1983.

Ksepka explained that a computer model showed that the prehistoric bird was a very efficient glider. "It could probably travel for extreme distances using a very, very small amount of energy," said Ksepka. However, if the bird was caught on low ground in bad wind conditions, it may have become fatally stuck.