Harpy Eagle

Top 10 Deadliest Birds In The World

Thousands of bird species exist in the world. History has seen the extinction of many birds due to which the population of birds has reduced in nature. When we think of birds, we only think that they are harmless and small creatures. Ever thought that birds are dangerous to human beings? There are few birds that are proved deadly to humans. The deadliest birds in the world are that can kill humans or has the capability to kill. These birds can kill humans either with their strength, aggressive nature or toxicity.

It is hard to believe that birds such as swan and ostrich can be deadly to humans. We still believe that birds such as swan and Australian Magpie can only cause harm to humans and not kill us. But, don’t forget that they can be deadly at times. So, which are the top 10 deadliest birds in the world?

Let’s check the list of top 10 deadliest and dangerous birds to humans in the world:

10. Red-Tailed Hawk

The Red Tailed Hawk is one of the largest hawks in North America. In the United States, they are also known as “chickenhawk”. The Red Tailed Hawk is powerful enough to kill young animals, smaller raptors, reptiles, turkeys, chickens, and other smaller animals. Sometime in 2014, a family dog was killed by the Red Tailed Hawk. The animal has sharp and dangerous nails that are used to prey the victims. The Red Tailed Hawk prefers to eat fresh on the prey they have killed themselves.

9. African Crowned Eagle

The African Crowned Eagle is one of the biggest eagles in the world. They are also one of the most powerful eagles in the world. Crowned Eagles have the ability to kill its prey before feeding on them. The African Crowned Eagle is also known as the crowned-hawk eagle, found in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa. There are numerous reports of the African Crowned Eagles killing calves and monkeys. The prey is often killed due to strong blows, deep wounds or suffocation.

8. Harpy Eagle

Similar to the Crowned Eagles, Harpy Eagles are among the most powerful and largest eagles in the world. Their beaks are one of the deadliest among eagles. Even Panthers and cheetahs stay away from them. Harpy Eagles can sometimes become aggressive to attack. They are sometimes referred to as the American Harpy Eagle. These birds are found in the Americas. These powerful raptors can easily kill monkeys, jaguars, and other smaller mammals.

7. Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie is Australia’s most dangerous creature. Australian Magpies are known for attacking cyclists in Australia. They are always on the hunt for unprotected flesh. Sometimes a group of magpies swooping on humans can possibly be a deadly attack. Few wild magpies are known for their aggressive behavior which can attack cyclists, homes, pet animals and kids.

6. Swan

This cute bird can become extremely dangerous and aggressive. If you approach a swan nest in the river, the swan mother can become extremely aggressive and flutter their wings rapidly. There are few rare incidents among kids and elderly people whose bones were broken by a swan attack. Definitely, a group of swans can be quite dangerous and deadly. Generally, swans are a defensive animal and become offensive if you happen to threaten them. Swans beaks are strong and are known to bite when they are in danger. Historically, swans have been a friendly bird to humans.

5. Pitohui

Pitohui is another bird that is similar to the Little Shriekthrush. Pitohui is endemic to New Guinea. The Hooded Pitohi’s feather and skin contain powerful neurotoxic alkaloids of the batrachotoxin group. This feature of the bird serves the purpose as a self-defense mechanism against snakes, raptors or humans. These birds are considered to be not good for cooking and eating. The birds probably do not produce the toxic chemical themselves. The toxins most likely come from the beetle genus Choresine, part of the birds’ diets.

4. Falcon

Falcons are exceptional hunters and deadly to rodents, animals and even humans. Falcons are capable of inflicting the spinal cord of humans. They can also attack the eyes of humans when standing on the way of their prey. Falcons exist on all continents except Antarctica. Falcons are fast, intelligent and cruel to its victims. They are also known for dangerously sharp beaks. Peregrine falcons can travel at a speed of 320 km/h, making them the fastest moving creature on Earth. Their hunting skills, great visual prowess, and amazing speed make them one of the most dangerous animals on the planet.

3. Little Shriekthrush

Little Shriekthrush is a small bird and poisonous in nature. They are one of the deadliest birds to humans and other animals. The bird is also known as rufous shrike-thrush, is a species of bird in the Colluricinclidae family. They are found in parts of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. A study on the toxicity of these birds found that the birds have traces of batrachotoxins (BTXs) similar to those found in the secretions of Central and South American poison dart frogs. The extremely potent cardiotoxic and neurotoxic steroidal alkaloid – batrachotoxin can have serious effects on heart muscles and the nervous systems.

2. Ostrich

Ostrich

Ostrich is the largest living species of bird in the world. The large flightless bird can be deadly and fierce at times. The fiercely fight predators are powerful enough to kill even their largest enemies, the lions. Ostriches are great runners and have strong legs. When attacking a person, ostriches deliver slashing kicks with their powerful feet, armed with long claws, with which they can disembowel or kill a person with a single blow. There is a Wikihow page to survive an encounter with Ostrich.

1. Cassowary

Cassowary

The Southern Cassowary is the most dangerous bird in the world which is known for its powerful kicks. These birds are deadly enough to kill human beings and domestic animals by their aggressive kicks. If you look closer to these animals, you can find a close resemblance to dinosaurs. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the cassowary as the world’s most dangerous bird. These animals are native to tropical forests of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia), nearby islands, and north-eastern Australia. Cassowary can grow up to 6.6 ft. tall and may weigh up to 58.5 kilograms. They are known for powerful and sharp nails which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are several records of Cassowary killing the natives.

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Vinod Suthersan is an young tech enthusiast, Blogger addict, Internet craze and thriving to learn new things on the world of Internet.