Which bird has the largest wingspan?

The story behind the answer

Albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any living bird—the wandering albatross can reach around 3.5 m (11.5 ft), with records near 3.7 m. Those immense wings let them soar for hours without flapping by riding ocean winds with a technique called dynamic soaring.

Condors, swans, and storks are big, but their spans are shorter (generally under ~3.3 m). Memory tip: “albaTROSS = across the oceans”—these seabirds roam the Southern Ocean, locking their wings to save energy and traveling vast distances between remote island nests and feeding grounds. Their effortless glide and long lifespans make them icons of endurance.