The bird with the fastest speed. The fastest birds in the world - flight speed and records

Since childhood we have been interested in one simple riddle: Who is really the fastest of birds? These amazing creatures have such a reserve of strength that many can envy them. The result of research on a similar topic may surprise many.

The fastest bird in the world

The first place in such a list of the fastest birds is taken by the peregrine falcon. It is this inconspicuous bird that can move at a speed of approximately 389 kilometers per hour, which (for comparison) significantly exceeds the speed of free fall of parachutists.

It is this fastest bird in the world that can give a head start to many animals, while the peregrine falcon can be found on absolutely all continents, except perhaps Antarctica. Its main feature is that it can develop such enormous speed only by diving from a height.

Peregrine falcon dimensions

In appearance, this fastest bird in the world is no more than a crow, moreover, it has gray plumage, which becomes light gray on the abdomen, and the head is always black.

The peregrine falcon survives thanks to a unique hunting technique, which consists of diving from a height onto its prey and knocking it down with a blow of its tucked paws. The speed with which the peregrine falcon does this could easily result in it knocking off the poor prey's head.

Second fastest

In fact, the bird that will be discussed further can easily take first place in this unique speed rating.

The main reason for this is that the peregrine falcon develops enormous speed when it “falls” from the sky, but the swift’s flight speed is enormous in the horizontal plane.

It can reach speeds of more than 170 kilometers per hour. You can meet such a miracle only in Northern or Central Asia, as well as in Central Europe. The bird spends its wintering in Africa or India. Now already natural habitat its habitats are cities, and much less often it concerns forests.

Appearance of a swift

The swift is even smaller in size than the peregrine falcon, and weighs only 50-150 grams.

The black swift is the fastest. It has dark brown plumage with a barely noticeable metallic tint. It can easily be confused with a swallow, because these bird species are quite similar, especially when viewed from above.

Features of the bird

The peculiarity of the swift is that literally a few centuries ago it could be eaten, arguing that the meat was quite tasty.

If we do not take into account this gastronomic feature, there is another curious fact: the swift spends almost all of its time in the air. In the most literal sense of the word. Flying out of the nest eight weeks after birth, it lands only after approximately 3 years. Given that its legs are very short and its toes point only forward, it is quite difficult to take off from the ground on its own, but it is possible. All you need is a few very strong flaps of your wings and at least a slight elevation to make it easier to take off. The wings themselves are disproportionately large, if you still compare them with the size of the body itself.

Long, curved wings and a perfectly streamlined body, a flat head, as well as a short neck - all these aerodynamic features allow the swift to even sleep in the air. Being at an altitude of up to 3 thousand meters in a flock, it simply flies in a circle and falls asleep, while waking up every 5 seconds in order to once again flap your wings and don't fall.

This fastest bird on earth can fly approximately 500 thousand kilometers in its entire life, landing only a few times in its life just to breed.

Swallow and swift: differences

It was previously said that a swift can be very similar to a swallow in its appearance. But still, their most important difference is their flight speed - a swift reaches a speed of about 170 kilometers per hour, and a swallow only 60 kilometers per hour. But nevertheless, a swift cannot be better in flight maneuverability than a swallow. A bird of this species also differs from the swift in the structure of its legs - the swift has four toes turned forward, while swallows have three toes turned forward and one toe turned back. That is why they can sit on telegraph wires and easily stay there, but this is definitely not possible for a swift.

Swifts have a dark belly, while swallows have a white belly. Moreover, in flight, the first type of bird is distinguished by its excessive noisiness and never folds its wings. In addition, the swift is larger in size than the swallow.

Bird flight speed

The third fastest in this ranking is the grey-headed albatross. It is larger in size than its predecessors, having a wingspan of 3.5 meters. Due to the fact that the albatross cannot make such a rapid dive or live constantly in the air, it is distinguished by its endurance.

It is he who can fly at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour for eight hours. Although he is not the fastest bird in the world, he is in the Guinness Book of Records due to his amazing features.

The eider is a bird from the duck family that can reach speeds of approximately one hundred kilometers per hour. At the same time, it can withstand long flights, although it does not rise high into the sky, because its main food is in the water - mollusks, worms, small fish. That is why the eider is not only a fast bird, but also an excellent diver.

Next in the ranking of the fastest birds in the world is the homing pigeon. This type has proven itself well in different conditions- and in peacetime, and during hostilities. That is why the pigeon must be given due respect.

Its flight speed ranges from 90 to 100 kilometers per hour. Pigeons are much more resilient than albatrosses - some individuals can stay in the air for more than 16 hours.

The starling is an inconspicuous bird with a pleasant singing voice; it has also established itself as a great flyer. Starlings can reach speeds of approximately 70 kilometers per hour, and they are found on every continent on our planet.

The fieldfare thrush can also reach a speed of 70 kilometers per hour. It is distributed throughout Europe and Asia, and its voice and unusual plumage always attract quite a lot of attention.

Birds are very interesting animals. There are about 11 thousand of them on the planet. various types, among them there are those that are very similar to each other and those that stand out clearly from others and not only visually, due to their unusual coloring, but also due to their body structure and capabilities. So, for example, one of the smallest winged creatures, the hummingbird, can fly backwards. largest bird reaches the height of a person, and can weigh up to 160 kilograms - this is an African ostrich. Many of them are known to have unusually keen eyesight, but the falcon's ability to see up to 4 kilometers away is truly impressive. But what is the fastest bird in the world? We have to find out.

Our list opens with the rather clumsy bird Eider. Her body is not designed for traveling on foot, so she spends most of her life on the water. It also flies rarely, but does it quickly; an adult is able to cover from 70 to 90 kilometers in an hour. This is far from the best result, but Gaga is clearly not offended, because she holds the record for the deepest dive into water - up to 50 meters.

9. Field Thrush

Among the fastest birds in the world is the very warlike thrush, whose favorite delicacy is rowan, which influenced its name. It can fly at speeds of over 80 km/h, and is also famous for shooting its own droppings at its opponents and enemies.

8. White-breasted American Swift

There are many varieties of swifts, but this particular one is capable of reaching speeds of up to 125 km/h. It spends much more time in the air than anywhere else, because it hunts insects, which it constantly looks out for while in flight.

7. Spur goose

Among the top 10 fastest birds in the world with a result of 143 km/h is the spur goose. It lives on the African continent, eats aquatic plants, but can also covet wheat and other crops. In addition, it has at its disposal poisonous needle-like spurs, which are located on the break of its wing. To fill them with poison, he also eats blister beetles.

6. Medium merganser

There is no faster duck on planet Earth than the merganser. It differs in that it can stay under water for more than a minute and that already in the first hour of its life, ducks of this species conquer the expanses of water without fear of drowning.

5. Grey-headed albatross

The albatross is without any doubt the fastest feathered animal, but it holds the record in horizontal flight. It can accelerate to 128 km/h and fly for about 7-8 hours without slowing down. Only these winged creatures have such endurance.

With an indicator of 150 km/h, fourth place on our list is the frigate - an African relative of the pelican. It does not have the most pleasant character and habits, because without a twinge of conscience it occupies other people’s nests, steals food and even chicks.

A predatory representative of birds with very modest dimensions. In height it rarely exceeds 35 cm, but in speed it will give many a head start, because it develops about 240 km/h.

Being a representative of the eagle genus, the golden eagle impresses with its size. Its wingspan can reach 2.5 meters, which explains its ability to fly at speeds of 250-320 km/h. It hunts small rodents and other birds, but can also grab a sheep if it takes its fancy.

The speed of the fastest bird in the world is 325 km/h and it is the peregrine falcon. No land creature, much less an underwater one, can accelerate so much, which makes it the fastest among all. The peregrine falcon is capable of such an indicator when it enters a dive, hunting for its next victim. At the same time, he only needs to tangentially touch potential prey with his claws, and it is guaranteed to be dead.

Birds are rightfully considered to be the fastest living creatures on the planet. Moving in the air, flyers can develop tremendous speed. Some species of birds can compete in aerial flight with the first created aircraft.

speed 116 km/h

– a large waterfowl opens the ranking of the fastest birds on the planet. With a body length of 48 to 56 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg, the dive is capable of speeds in the air of up to 116 km/h. Its flight is easy and longer duration among others from the duck family. In addition, the duck runs quite fast and swims well. This species is widespread in Central, Central Asia and Western Siberia. These birds prefer to settle next to fresh water bodies overgrown with reeds. The main food of the duck is seeds, aquatic plants, shellfish, and fish.

speed 124 km/h

With a horizontal flight speed of 124 km/h, it is ranked ninth in the ranking of the fastest birds in the world. These are small birds, similar in appearance to swallows, widespread in Europe, North Africa and Asia. They choose rocky areas for habitat, but can also exist in urban environments. The main food of the white-breasted American swift is insects, which it catches in flight. They spend most of their lives in the air and prefer not to build their own nests, but to settle in the dwellings of others - swifts and swallows.

speed 129 km/h

Belongs to the duck family and is considered one of the fastest birds in the world. In flight, a duck can reach speeds of up to 129 km/h. The average merganser is quite large - its body length can reach half a meter and its weight is 1.3 kg. Like others from the duck family, this species can swim and dive well. You can meet the common merganser in North America and Eurasia. For its habitat, it chooses flowing lakes and rivers, where it feeds on fish, frogs, insects and worms.

speed 142 km/h

It is one of the fastest birds in the world, capable of flying at speeds of up to 142 km/h. This type belongs to the duck family and is quite large in size: it can reach 1 meter in length, and it gains up to 6 kg in body weight. Males are larger than females. The spur goose runs quite well and nimbly on the ground, and in its manner of movement it resembles a heron. It is common in South America, in particular in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and prefers to settle near freshwater bodies. These geese prefer aquatic and coastal plants, as well as insects and small fish as food.

speed 147 km/h

With dimensions of 81 cm in length and a wingspan of 2 meters, it can reach speeds in airspace of up to 147 km/h. For a very long time he is able to remain in flight and covers enormous distances throughout his life, going around several times. globe. Its habitat is the islands of the Southern Ocean. Grey-headed albatrosses feed mainly on squid, fish and shellfish. They can dive to depths of up to 7 m to get food.

speed 150 km/h

He is one of the fastest flyers in the world, reaching speeds of up to 150 km/h. Frigates prefer to spend most of their time hovering in the air without moving their wings. They have rather long and narrow wings, the span of which can reach 2.5 m. With a height of 1.1 m in length, their body weight can reach 1.5 kg. Skilled flyers move rather clumsily and cannot swim. Distinctive feature The male has an inflatable red throat pouch with which he lures the female. These birds chose tropical islands as their habitat. subtropical zone. They can be found in Australia and Polynesia. Since frigates themselves cannot swim, they hunt flying fish or take prey from water birds.

speed 160 km/h

– a small bird of prey of the falcon family is one of the fastest birds in the world in terms of flight speed. With a wingspan of 80 cm, the Hobby is capable of speeds of up to 160 km/h. Outwardly, it is similar to the peregrine falcon, but differs in size, which is 28-36 cm. The flapping of its wings is fast and maneuverable, alternating with gliding, taking the shape of a sickle. The flyer is distributed throughout the continent of Eurasia and prefers to settle in forests and forest-steppe zones. Since it is a predator, it feeds on small birds, as well as large insects - beetles, butterflies and dragonflies. Less commonly, mice and other small animals become its delicacy.

speed 170 km/h

Unveils the top three fastest birds in the world. The swiftlet flyer, with a wingspan of 55 cm, is capable of gaining speed in horizontal flight of 170 km/h. Its body length reaches 22 cm, and its weight is about 150 grams. Spiny swifts can be found in South Asia, Far East and Siberia. For settlement, they choose groves and forests near bodies of water. The peculiarity of these flyers is that they never land on the ground.

speed 320 km/h

– one of the fastest flyers, capable of reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h in flight. This is a bird of prey that belongs to the hawk family. The body length of an eagle can reach 1 meter, and its weight ranges from 3 to 7 kg. Its wingspan varies between 2–2.4 m. In search of prey, hunters are able to soar high in the sky for a long time, while their activity remains minimal. Their movements in the air are light and maneuverable. Having noticed prey, the golden eagle quickly picks up speed and rushes towards the prey. The predator chooses birds, rodents, and hares as its victims. It may also prey on large, sick prey in the form of roe deer, deer, sheep and calves. The golden eagle's habitat is quite wide and includes most of the Holarctic, Alaska, Canada, Scotland, the Caucasus, etc. It can also be found throughout the forest zone of Russia.

speed 350 km/h

- the fastest flyer on planet Earth. Bird of prey belongs to the falcon family and has the widest habitat - all continents, excluding Antarctica. Its wingspan during flight is 1.1 m. When diving prey, the predator reaches speeds of up to 350 km/h, a distance of about 1 km per minute. The body of an adult peregrine falcon can reach half a meter in length, and the bird can gain up to 1 kg in weight. He loves to hunt medium-sized birds - pigeons, blackbirds, starlings and ducks. Sometimes small mammals can become its victims. For habitat, the hunter chooses places that are inaccessible to humans - most often the rocky shores of reservoirs.

Of all the diversity of birds living on Earth, and there are about 9,000 species, there are special ones. For example, it is known about the fastest running birds and the birds that develop the highest speed in flight.

Birds that run the fastest

Birds that cannot fly, trying to adapt to life in wildlife, learned to run fast. Most of them live in Southern Hemisphere. Fast running is facilitated by developed leg muscles and a powerful core.

African ostrich

Of all the birds, the African ostrich develops the fastest speed when running. This bird is also a record holder for size, being the largest representative of birds. The speed that an African ostrich can easily maintain for a long run is 50 km/h. When accelerating, it runs at a speed of 80 km/h. The record for this huge bird is 97 km/h.

Such rapid running is possible thanks to powerful, developed legs with two toes. The wings help the ostrich balance while running. This fast-running bird lost its ability to fly long ago.

Nandu

The rhea bird lives in the steppes South America. Both in appearance and in its lifestyle, this bird is very similar to an ostrich. Nandu, sensing danger, is able to run at a speed of 60 km/h. Of the predators, only a puma or a jaguar can catch up with an adult bird. The second name for rhea is American ostrich.

Emu

Emu, how African ostriches and rheas, are first-class runners. Their maximum running speed is 50 km/h. What’s surprising is that one-month-old emu chicks are already capable of running along with their mother, reaching a speed of 50 km/h. Emus are most common in Australia. In normal life, they prefer to walk quickly at a speed of 4 to 7 km/h.

Birds that fly the fastest

All birds, with a few exceptions, can fly, but their flight speed is very different. The birds that fly the fastest are the ones that use their wings “correctly.” The flight speed is also affected by the structure of the skeleton and the weight of the birds.

Spine-tailed Swift

The speed of flight of the swift can only be compared with the peregrine falcon. A swift in horizontal flight can reach a speed of 160 km/h. Its weight is from 30 to 56 grams with a length of less than 18 cm. It is easy for a swift to escape pursuit, because it flies faster than its predatory counterparts.

Hobby

The Hobby feeds on small birds and insects, hunting them during flight. This bird flies a little slower than the swift. Its speed is less than 160 km/h. He is a member of the falcon family. Habitat: almost all of Eurasia.

Frigate

Another fast predator- frigate. Its maximum speed is 153 km/h. He is able to float long time without flapping its wings. Frigates often take the prey of other predators by attacking them during flight.

Grey-headed albatross

Having spread its huge wings, the span of which is about 3.5 meters, the grey-headed albatross soars above the expanses of water - another record holder for flight speed. It can fly at a speed of 130 km/h, quite slightly inferior to a frigate, and the albatross is capable of maintaining this speed for a long time.

Gaga

The eider flies at a speed of 100 km/h. This bird finds food near water bodies. Powerful wings help the eider not only fly quickly, but also dive to a depth of about 20 meters.

Homing pigeon

From 85 to 100 km/h - this is the flight speed carrier pigeon. These birds are distinguished by their flight speed and incredible duration. After all, a pigeon can fly non-stop by mail for up to 16 hours straight.

Birds that dive the deepest

The inhabitants of Antarctica, penguins, are capable of diving to depths of up to 200 meters. This is how they get tasty prey - fish. At the same time, birds that cannot fly are able to move underwater at a speed of 36 km/h. Ice water and they are not afraid of cold air.
Birds are also distinguished by their unusual appearance. You can compare, for example, beaks. The site has a website about the most unusual beaks in the world, including animals with beaks.
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The most fast birds

Regarding speed, all birds are divided into 2 categories, the first category reaches maximum speed during normal flight, the latter develop speed during a dive. Kinetic energy depends on many indicators, such as body weight, flight altitude, free fall acceleration.

When diving, birds do not fly; they fall freely. But during horizontal flight, the speed changes depending on the acceleration and body weight. Let's look at the five fastest birds on our planet.

Fifth place – Cheglok

The Hobby is a member of the falcon family, a very small bird and opens the top five fastest birds in the world. Dials Hobby speed up to 160 km/h, and the wingspan is 80 cm. The Hobby can be confused with the Peregrine Falcon, but its size gives it away; it reaches 28-36 cm in length. During flight, the wings are shaped like a sickle. Chooses forest and forest-steppe zone, its diet includes small birds and large insects such as butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies. May also eat mice or small animals.

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The Hobby also likes to hunt the needle-tailed swift. Interesting detail Hobby can catch as prey a bird that is 3 times its size, although the meat requirement of this bird is only 30 grams per day.

Fourth place – Frigate

The frigate genus includes 5 species of birds. It lives mainly in the tropics and subtropics. They like to spend most of their time flying over bodies of water. The frigate's wingspan reaches 244 cm, its length is 75-114 cm, and its body weight is only 500-1500 g. These indicators contribute to a strong impulse, which allows the frigate to gain speed. Frigates take prey from other aquatic birds, although they could perfectly obtain food on their own.

That's why frigate birds are called thief birds. They even build nests from stolen materials. At the same time, the wings of a frigate have a structure that does not allow them to take off from the ground. Frigates reach speeds of up to 153 km/h.

For the state of Naur, frigates are their symbol; local residents use them to catch fish. At the same time, the Polynesian people use frigates as a post office for exchanging messages, like pigeons. Frigates are tamed and taught various tricks. You can even feed them from the mouth.

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