Our majestic BIRDLIFE

Big and beautiful, here’s a look at some of the largest UK birds

- JO MADDOX

In the bird world hall of fame, none came bigger than the extinct Vorombe titan, which translates to ‘big bird’. Standing 10ft tall and weighing almost a tonne, this Madagascan giant would have dwarfed today’s largest birds. But just how do our British birds measure up in comparison?

White-tailed eagle

With an 8ft wingspan, the UK’s largest bird of prey is the white-tailed eagle. Persecuted to extinction by the end of the 19th century, its reintroduction to Scotland in the 1970s (and last year to the Isle of Wight) is a huge conservation success. Aptly called the ‘flying barn doors’, these monogamous raptors perform a spectacular aerial courtship, which culminates in the pair locking talons, while cartwheeling down, separating just moments from hitting the ground.

Capercaillie