Which Bird Can Fly the Highest?

The Rüppell griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) holds the verified record for the highest-flying bird at 11,300 metres (37,000 feet). This was confirmed in 1973 when one was ingested by a jet engine over Abidjan, Ivory Coast. At that altitude, oxygen levels are about one-third of sea level, and temperatures drop to around -50 °C. The vulture special haemoglobin variant binds oxygen more efficiently than other birds. The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is another famous high flyer, regularly migrating over the Himalayas at altitudes exceeding 7,000 metres, and has been recorded at 8,800 metres.