15 Deadliest Birds in The World

The 15 deadliest birds in the world are vicious in their own ways, but only a few are dangerous to human beings. The others are only deadly when they need to be.

Cassowary

Cassowaries just look mean, but they are reportedly wary of humans. If provoked though, they can and will attack in a manner that can cause serious harm to people.

Ostrich

Equal in size to the cassowary, ostriches are counted among the deadliest birds since their claws can and have savaged people in the past. They aren’t typically the type of creature to take after humans, but they do harm more people than their blue-feathered counterparts.

Lammergeiers

Also known as the bearded vulture, this bird has been reported to attack humans, but it doesn’t sound as though any story is well founded. They will attack when provoked though, and do go after other animals despite being scavengers.

Barred Owl

One doesn’t always hear about barred owls attacking humans, but it does happen. Not only are these silent predators tough to see coming, but they’re also very territorial.

Hooded Pitohui

Birds aren’t exactly known for their toxicity, but this one is. It does require handling them to experience this, but it’s enough to realize that they do have a very reliable defense mechanism.

Crowned Eagle

Eagles are some of the fiercest-looking species among the deadliest birds in the world. But while they won’t generally attack adults, they have been documented as attacking human children.

Australian Magpie

While it’s true that these birds are smaller and not as prone to be dangerous on their own, they don’t fight fair. A group of magpies will attack humans if they feel threatened or feel that humans are too close to their nests.

Emu

It’s fair to state that bigger birds are a little more aggressive sometimes. The emu is no exception since those who have farmed these birds have reported attacks over the years.

Great Northern Loon

These birds don’t normally attack, but the shape of their bill makes them a deadly threat. Shaped much like a blade, when closed this bill can stab a person with a great deal of force.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Typically, hawks won’t attack humans, as many animals steer clear of people. But if you’re close to their nest then they’ll see you as a threat and will therefore attack to drive you away.

Rhea

Kind of like an emu or an ostrich, these birds can become aggressive at certain points in their lives. A male might become extremely aggressive when protecting a nest.

Gulls

You wouldn’t think that these annoying sea birds could be that dangerous. But they’ve dive-bombed enough people to make it clear that yes, they can and will be aggressive if they want.

Shrikes

Yes, these small birds, also known as butcher birds, will attack people if provoked. Not only that, but if enough start attacking at once it can become a problem very quickly.

Pelicans

While they’re not bound to kill a human, they will attack if provoked. More often than not though, they’re more of a danger to other birds.

Keas

All one has to do is look at the claws on this bird to realize that yes, they can be dangerous. It might not happen that often, but it can still happen.