![]() ![]() Ostriches have an enlarged pelvic girdle to help them run fast and reduced pectoral muscles to conserve metabolic energy. The main predators of ostriches are the lion, hyena, and cheetah, which is the world’s fastest land animal reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h. The fastest running bird in the world is the ostrich which can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. Many birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly have developed long, powerful legs to compensate. ![]() If a bird can’t fly, then to escape predators it needs to be able to run. The team of scientists used high-speed cameras to scientifically measure the speed of swifts during mating flights known as screaming parties.Ĭommon swifts usually fly at fairly consistent speeds of 36-43 km/h but when they are showing off to potential mates, they turboboost their speed, by altering their wing profile and physiology. However, the fastest verified flying bird is the common swift which was measured in 2009 by researchers from Lund University in Sweden flying at 112 km/h. Other birds that fly super-fast are the gyrfalcon reaching speeds of up to 145 km/h and the grey-headed albatross (127 km/h). It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h although this has never been scientifically proven. It is a migratory bird that breeds in Central Asia and southern Sibreria and winters in India, Asia, and Australia. It’s commonly agreed that the fastest flying bird in the world is the white-throated needletail, also known as the needle-tailed swift or the spine-tailed swift. They have relatively small wings and therefore have to fly faster just to stay aloft. Using Doppler radar to track birds has found that most birds have a flight speed of about 40 km/h but this depends on external factors such as headwinds and tailwinds.ĭucks and other waterfowl tend to fly at about double this speed mainly due to the shape of their bodies. ![]() It’s difficult to get an accurate measurement of the speed of birds during level flight. It’s unusual for them to hunt in this way preferring to fly low and strike prey with its talons. The saker falcon, a large species that breeds from Central Europe to East Asia, can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h while the golden eagle usually stoops at about 240 km/h which is all the more impressive given their size. And what’s even more remarkable is that at the end of the stoop, it can deliver a controlled blow to the prey and carry it away. The actual speed that a peregrine falcon can reach will depend on the speed of the wind and the length of the dive. This is even faster than the ultra-fast bullet trains which have a maximum speed of about 320 km/h. Peregrines are favored by falconers, and have been used in that sport for many centuries.In level flight peregrine falcons can reach speeds of between 65 and 90 km/h but when diving can reach over 380 km/h. Now populations are strong in those nations, and in some parts of the globe, there actually may be more peregrines than existed before the 20th-century decline. Captive breeding programs have also helped to boost the bird's numbers in the U.S. The birds have rebounded strongly since the use of DDT and other chemical pesticides was curtailed. Peregrine populations were in steep decline during the mid-20th century, and in the United States these beautiful falcons became an endangered species. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive generations of falcons. Yet they have an incredible homing instinct that leads them back to favored aeries. Those that nest on Arctic tundra and winter in South America fly as many as 15,500 miles in a year. These birds may travel widely outside the nesting season-their name means "wanderer." Though some individuals are permanent residents, many migrate. Peregrines are even known to live on bridges and skyscrapers in major cities. They prefer wide-open spaces, and thrive near coasts where shorebirds are common, but they can be found everywhere from tundra to deserts. Peregrine falcons are among the world's most common birds of prey and live on all continents except Antarctica. Peregrines hunt from above and, after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive that can top 200 miles an hour. These falcons are formidable hunters that prey on other birds (and bats) in mid-flight. ![]()
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