One vulture holds the altitude record for any bird — set by hitting a jet engine
In 1973, a Ruppell's vulture collided with a commercial aircraft over Ivory Coast at 11,300 metres (37,000 feet), knocking out one engine before the plane landed safely. Feather remains confirmed the species, which is rarely seen above 6,000 metres. It survives thin, oxygen-poor air using a specialized hemoglobin that binds oxygen far more efficiently than that of most other birds.