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 would 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 from 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. Nowadays its natural habitat is 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 its wings and not 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 species has proven itself well in various conditions - both in peacetime and during military operations. 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 proven itself to be an excellent 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 warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates. Their entire body is covered with feathers, and the vast majority of their forelimbs are transformed into wings. There are about 11 thousand species of birds in the world; they inhabit all ecosystems of the globe, including Antarctica. Different species differ greatly in appearance, size and habits. For example, the smallest bird in the world is the hummingbird, it weighs only one and a half grams and is the only one of all birds that can fly backwards, the largest bird in the world is the African ostrich, it is as tall as a person and weighs up to 160 kg, the most vigilant bird on the planet is the falcon , which is able to see a mouse from a height of 3.5 km. Which bird is the fastest? This article will tell you about this.
Sapsan
This is not a very large bird; in size it is comparable to an ordinary crow; it is an active predator and belongs to the falcon family. The peregrine falcon can be found all over the world except Antarctica. This falcon has a contrasting plumage color: its head and upper body are slate-black, the lower back and wings are gray, and the belly is whitish.
The peregrine falcon mainly hunts small birds ─ pigeons, starlings, ducks, and less often small mammals become its prey. It is precisely during the hunt that the falcon develops a record speed in the animal world ─ 325 km/h or 90 m/s! No animal is capable of moving at such speed, so the peregrine falcon is not only the fastest bird in the world, but generally the fastest living creature on earth. He hunts in a very unique way: he plans in the sky, looking for prey; having identified a victim, it quickly dives down at an angle of 90°, accelerating in vertical flight to maximum speed; Having reached the prey, the peregrine falcon hits it tangentially with its paws, and the prey immediately dies from the blow. The blow with strong falcon talons at such super speed is so strong that even large game’s heads often fly off. Peregrine falcons are very faithful birds. They mate for life. They most often nest on the tops of steep slopes, hatching 3-5 chicks in one season.
Another fastest bird on the planet is the golden eagle from the hawk family. This is a large and strong bird, its body length reaches 95 cm, wingspan ─ 200-240 cm. They have a hook-shaped beak, long and wide wings, keen eyes, powerful paws with very strong claws. The golden eagle's color is dark brown with golden markings on the back of the head and neck. A characteristic feature of the golden eagle is the presence of a superciliary fold, which gives the bird a menacing “frowning” appearance.
This is the most ruthless and swift predator in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. Its victims include not only hares, partridges, field mice and gophers, but sheep, calves, roe deer and even young deer. Looking for prey, the golden eagle hovers in the sky for a long time, and having noticed the prey, it quickly “falls” on the victim at a speed of 300-320 km/h! It's even faster than a Ferrari!
A small bird, whose body length rarely reaches 35 cm, and whose weight does not exceed 250 grams, belongs to the falcon family. Its habitat is very wide - almost the entire continent of Eurasia and part of North Africa. Prefers sparse light forests with an open panorama.
The head and back of the hobby are dark gray, the chest and belly are white with numerous gray streaks, the cheeks and throat are pure white, black stripes go down from the beak that resemble mustaches, the paws are “dressed in pants” of a red color. The wings and tail are white below, with wide black stripes above.
The Hobby also claims to be the “fastest bird in the world,” as it can reach speeds of up to 250 km/h while hunting for large flying insects and small birds.
The fourth place in the ranking of the fastest birds in the world is occupied by swifts. In total, there are about 80 species of these birds, but they are very similar to each other in appearance and way of life. The swift is a small bird weighing 70-140 grams, distributed everywhere, its feathers are colored black, dark gray or dark brown with a metallic tint. It has a sharp beak, weak legs, a straight or forked tail and long curved wings. In appearance, the swift is very similar to a swallow. In one hour he is able to cover 160-170 km. In horizontal flight, no other bird, not even the peregrine falcon, will outrun a swift.
Interestingly, this fast-flying bird spends most of its life in flight. Swifts feed, swim, mate and even sleep in the air! The swift sleeps in a particularly unusual way: it hovers sluggishly in the sky, waking up every 5 seconds to flap its wings. Sometimes the wind carries a swift in its sleep far from its nesting site, but at dawn, having finally woken up, it quickly finds its way home.
These birds settle almost everywhere: in the mountains, in the forest, in the steppe, in the desert, and in the city. They nest and hatch chicks in Europe and Central and Northern Asia, but go to India and Africa for the winter.
The gray-headed albatross is in fifth place among the fastest birds. This is a large seabird that is found on isolated islands near Antarctica. She spends most of her time in the open ocean far from the coastline. They feed on squid, fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, lampreys and krill. The albatross can dive to a depth of seven meters for prey. It is also capable of flying over very long distances, while developing a speed of 150 km/h, which gives them the right to be called one of the fastest birds on earth.
These birds have a very interesting feature: they can accumulate fat in the upper compartment of the stomach. The bird feeds it to its chicks, satisfies its own hunger during long flights, and spits it at its enemies.
Let's continue to find out which bird is the fastest.
Fifth place, along with the grey-headed albatross, is also occupied by the frigate - another fast-flying bird. It lives in the tropics and subtropics, and is a close relative of pelicans and cormorants.
This feathered creature looks very interesting: like a very important, but clumsy duck with a bright red chest strongly protruded forward, a head arrogantly thrown back, covered with black feathers. She has a long, downward-curved beak, narrow wings pressed to the body, a long forked tail, and short, clumsy legs. Although the frigate walks poorly and cannot swim, it flies simply excellent, easily covering 150 km per hour and being almost the fastest flyer in the world.
A distinctive feature of this feathered creature is its cockiness: it can take over someone else’s nest, driving away the owners, take prey from other birds, and even kidnap a chick from its neighbors’ nest.
A large bird that simultaneously resembles both a goose and a duck. Lives in Africa, settles only near bodies of water. Its body reaches 1 meter in length and weighs more than 6 kg. The bird's legs are high and strong, its pointed wings are large, so the spur goose runs well, swims deftly and flies well. In flight, few can compare with it, since it is capable of reaching speeds of up to 140 km/h, so many scientists say that it is the fastest bird on earth.
The feathered creature feeds on aquatic and coastal plants, insects, and small fish.
Spur geese are not family birds. They create a pair only for 1 season, while the male’s task is reduced only to fertilizing the female, all other tasks ─ building a nest, incubating eggs, caring for the chicks ─ fall on the goose.
This bird is the fastest duck in the world; no other duck can catch it, because the average merganser flies at a speed of 130 km/h. Like other representatives of this family, the merganser swims well and dives well; it can stay under water for up to a minute. Interestingly, the chicks begin to swim in the very first hours of life; Immediately after they are dry, the mother takes them to the water.
It is widespread in North America and northern and central Eurasia. It settles only near flowing rivers and lakes, feeding on insects, worms, small fish, tadpoles and frogs.
The eighth place in the ranking (the grey-headed albatross and the frigate shared the fifth place) of the fastest birds on earth is again occupied by the duck - pochard. This duck can be found almost throughout Europe, Central and Central Asia. Compared to other types of ducks, it is quite large, weighs 1.5 kg or more, and has a body length of more than half a meter. Its color is bright and elegant: red head, bright red beak, black glasses around the eyes, light brown cheeks and neck, black breast, white belly, gray wings with a light stripe. The duck settles near small bodies of fresh water and feeds on green plant food. This elegant duck is very active. She runs well, swims, dives and flies excellently, reaching speeds of up to 115 km/h in the air.
The duck family again! But this is a sea duck that lives on the cold coasts of North America, Europe and Eastern Siberia. This is a very large sea duck that weighs 3 kg, its body grows up to 70-80 cm in length. On the shore it is very clumsy and heavy, so it spends almost 2/3 of its life in the water near the shore, coming to land only to breed. It flies little, low over the water, but very quickly: it covers up to 80-90 km in an hour. Eider has set a record: she dives the deepest of all birds on the planet, reaching a depth of 50 meters underwater. It feeds on mollusks and crustaceans.
Eider is known for its incredibly light and very warm down. It is collected from nests and used to insulate the clothes of polar explorers, climbers and astronauts. Eiderdown has a special structure and is more valuable than any other.
The last, 10th place in the ranking “The fastest bird in the world” is the fieldfare. This small bird with discreet plumage is found throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and North Africa. Prefers to live in colonies of 40-50 pairs. They love parks, forest edges, meadows. It feeds on plant foods and small insects. He loves to feast on rowan berries, hence his name.
The Field Thrush is an agile bird: it runs well, jumps and flies quickly, reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h.
Interestingly, this species defends itself by firing at the enemy with its droppings, which glue the feathers of other birds with a special enzyme, causing them serious harm. Therefore, other birds try not to approach the fieldfare colony. If a person wanders into the thrush’s domain, he will also be shot at.
That's all! Now you know what the fastest birds inhabit our planet.
Humanity has been associated with this falcon for a very long time; even in Ancient Egypt, one of the gods was depicted with the head of a peregrine falcon. For many centuries, the nomadic peoples of Asia have raised and used peregrine falcons in hunting small animals. In nature, the falcon prefers to hunt birds, and in most cases does this in the air. Before attacking the victim, it rises up, quickly gaining height, and then falls vertically like a “stone.” It is almost impossible to catch this with the human eye - the bird reaches speeds of up to 100 m/s (about 350 km/h). You can only hear the whistle emitted by the feathers, which at the peak of speed turns into a trumpet roar. The falcon hunts sparrows, thrushes, pigeons, ducks, less often - hares, squirrels, bats, and does not disdain insects and amphibians. The only one of its prey that the peregrine falcon is almost inferior in speed to is the black swift.
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Black swift
These small birds, about 25 cm long, develop horizontal flight speeds of up to 180 km/h, which allows them to escape from predators. However, unlike the swallow, with which it is often compared, the swift is less nimble: in order to turn around, it makes a very large turn.
The siskin not only flies fast. He is a real celestial: he eats, drinks, mates and even sleeps in the sky on the fly. A swift can fly continuously for up to 4 years and fly up to 500,000 km during this time.
Photo source: http://volgabirds.ru/
Grey-headed albatross
The albatross does not know how to dive at high speed, cannot sleep at an altitude of 2-3 km, circling in one place, but its huge wings with a span of up to 3.5 meters allow it to maintain a “cruising” flight speed of 130 km/h for a long time (up to 8 ocloc'k). This was proven thanks to tracking devices installed on the studied representatives. This type of albatross spends most of the day in the open ocean, hunting fish, crustaceans, squid, lampreys and even carrion. Sometimes they have to dive for prey to depths of up to 7 meters.
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Eiders dive somewhat better than albatrosses; they spend most of their time in the littoral part of the sea (the part of the bottom between the high tide and low tide), where they pick up food from the bottom. With the help of their wings, they dive to a depth of 20 m, where they catch crustaceans, aquatic invertebrates, fish, and collect mollusks. But in speed they are somewhat inferior to albatrosses - the average flight speed is about 100 km/h. Eiders fly low over the water and come to land very rarely, mainly for the sake of resting or breeding, while they stay in the coastal zone and do not fly inland.
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Homing pigeons
People have known for a long time about the ability of carrier pigeons to remember the route and cover vast distances, delivering mail or messages. These amazing birds can stay in the air for up to 16 hours a day without a break. Carrier pigeons helped deliver correspondence during World War II, for which monuments were erected to them in many European cities. Carrying out the assignment given to them, pigeons could fly at a speed of 85-100 km/h, so specially trained falcons were used to intercept pigeon mail.
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The first birds to arrive from warm countries are starlings. They not only have a pleasant voice and are known not only for their “enviable” family life. Starlings are capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h, and they cover hundreds of kilometers annually, flying away for the winter and returning back. Starlings have recently begun to live closer to human habitation. They do not build permanent nests, so after the chicks, having fledged, fly out of the nests, they gather in flocks and circle over the city in search of food.
Recently, a question arose among ornithologists, to which the answer has not yet been found: “How do starlings manage to fly at great speed into a small hole-entrance into a birdhouse and not get injured?”
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Fieldfare thrushes differ from their counterparts in their original plumage, larger size, unusual voice, large gregarious colonies (up to 40 pairs) and their love for rowan. However, they do not disdain other berries, as well as insects. Every winter, northern fieldfares, gathering in large colonies, migrate to warmer climes. However, despite their larger size than the starling (length up to 25 cm, wingspan up to 45 cm), their flight speed is somewhat lower - rarely exceeding 70 km/h.
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Martin
Swifts are often confused with swallows, but the latter are distinguished by wider wings and a more pronounced “fork” of the tail. Visually, especially when swifts and swallows fly nearby, it seems that swallows fly faster, but in fact the speed of even a barn swallow or a coastal swallow is much lower - about 65 km/h. The apparent speed is due to the fact that swifts use a different flight “style” - they often hover in the air and soar. Swallows, on the contrary, are constantly in motion and often change the direction of flight; they are more maneuverable and, moreover, are able to turn sharply 360 degrees almost on the spot.
Photo source: http://www.stihi.ru/
Common kestrel and siskin
The kestrel is a distant relative of the peregrine falcon and hunts rodents by falling from above. However, unlike peregrine falcons, when looking for prey, the kestrel prefers to fly slowly or alternate fast flight with gliding through the air. If necessary, the kestrel can fly by inertia or without fully opening its wings. The average speed of a kestrel is 60-65 km/h.
Everyone probably once asks the question: what is the fastest bird in the world? What speed is it capable of? What does she look like and what does she eat? We decided to answer all these questions in our new article, which will talk in detail about the lifestyle, habitats and habits of the fastest creature in the world, and also, as a bonus, we will provide here a list of nine other birds that have also amazed people the speed of their flights.
Peregrine falcon: the fastest predator in the world
Probably, few people know that the speed of the fastest bird in the world in a diving flight reaches three hundred twenty-two kilometers per hour. For comparison, this is equal to 90 meters per second! No other animal in the world can reach such speed.
For those who want to know, we have prepared another interesting article on our website.
Meet the peregrine falcon, the world's fastest flyer. This handsome fellow from the falcon family stands out from the entire animal world not only for his super speed, but also for his extremely high intelligence. Since ancient times, people have domesticated the fastest birds in the world and used them for a popular pastime in the Middle Ages - falconry.
By the way, the peregrine falcon has always remained a bird that not everyone could keep. In the famous English work “Boke of St. Albans,” dating back to 1486, states that only a high-ranking person, such as a duke or prince, can own a peregrine falcon.
Unfortunately, it was precisely because of human negligence that the fastest creatures in the world almost disappeared from the face of the Earth as a species. In the forties of the last century, when pesticides began to be used most widely, and among them DDT, the already few peregrine falcons were literally on the verge of extinction. These chemicals, which were sprayed on the fields, had an extremely detrimental effect on this type of bird, which is why their population began to decline rapidly. And only in 1970, when the use of these pesticides in agriculture was prohibited, the population of the world's fastest flyers began to grow again.
The size of an adult bird can vary from thirty-five to fifty centimeters, with females always larger than males. The color of the upper body is gray, the abdomen is light. The beak is short, curved (like all falcons), and its blow is so strong that when it encounters it, the victim’s head often flies off. It feeds on birds such as pigeons and ducks, and small mammals such as mice, gophers, hares and squirrels.
The peregrine falcon is mentioned in the annex to the CITES convention, which strictly prohibits its use for sale in any part of the planet. Also, the fastest bird in the world is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as an extremely rare species.
Winged lightning: top 10 fastest birds in the world
Here are a few more representatives of the world of birds that will captivate you with their speed. We already know who deservedly takes first place - without a doubt, this is the peregrine falcon - the fastest creature in the world. Here's who follows him in terms of speed:
Golden eagle
The Golden Eagle deservedly takes an honorable second place in our list of the fastest in the world, because its flight speed can reach 240-320 km/h, which is not much lower than the speed of its predecessor. The golden eagle is one of the very large birds of the genus of eagles, because its wingspan can reach two hundred and forty centimeters, and its height varies from seventy-six to ninety-three centimeters.
The golden eagle is a predator; it hunts both small birds and rodents, and small mammals, for example, it can take a sheep. Due to its dark color with golden feathers on the neck and nape, this bird received the name Golden Eagle, which means “golden eagle” in English.
Spine-tailed Swift
The needle-tailed swift, also called the key-tail, is in third place on our list of the fastest in the world. Its speed can reach 160 km/h, and its lifestyle is not well studied. The weight of this bird does not exceed one hundred seventy-five grams, and the body length is twenty-two centimeters. The needle-tailed swift has chosen Siberia and the Far East as its habitat on the territory of the Russian Federation, and for the winter, representatives of this family fly to Australia. This small bird got its name because of the shape of its tail - not forked, like most swifts, but gathered into one sharp end or needle.
Hobby
This relatively small bird (size about twenty-eight to thirty-six centimeters) is also a predator and belongs to the falcon family, like our record holder - the peregrine falcon, which the hobby, by the way, is very similar in appearance to. But, unlike it, the Hobby's flight speed is approximately 150 km/h. Also, this feathered predator is famous for the fact that it never builds its own nests, and to hatch chicks it prefers to occupy the old homes of other birds, for example, a sparrowhawk, a crow or a magpie.
Frigate
The frigate is a bright and unusual bird that prefers to live in hot climates, for example, in the Seychelles or Australia. The speed of its movements is also impressive - it can reach 150 km/h, while the frigate can spend quite a lot of time in the air. The appearance of the males is very impressive - on the chest of each of them there is a bright red throat pouch, by the size of which females determine the most promising male. Frigates got their name in honor of the warships of the same name, as they have the habit of taking food from other birds by attacking them.
Grey-headed albatross
If the peregrine falcon can be considered the fastest in the world in terms of diving flight speed, then the grey-headed albatross confidently holds the lead in the speed of horizontal flight, for which it was included in the Guinness Book of Records. He can travel 127 km/h without slowing down for eight whole hours, which he proved in 2004. As its name implies, this albatross is ash-gray in color, and its length often reaches eighty centimeters.
Do you know the world one? If not, be sure to read another article on our website.
Spur goose
Spur geese are also very fast birds, with 142 km/h being their maximum speed. These birds live in Africa, feed on aquatic plants, and also do not disdain cultivated crops - wheat and corn. The spur goose got its name because of the sharp poisonous spurs on the fold of its wing. Geese specifically look for blister beetles, the consumption of which supplies the goose's spurs with toxic substances.
Medium merganser
But the average merganser, despite the funny name, is one of the most typical representatives of the duck family. It also has the appropriate coloring - white and red breast, white belly and neck, black back with a green tint. The average merganser differs from all its other relatives in only one thing - it can reach a truly record speed of 129 km/h.
White-breasted American Swift
In fact, there are a lot of American swifts - as many as eight varieties. But it is the white-breasted American swift that holds the record for fastest flight among them - it can fly within 124 km/h. The swift feeds on various insects, thanks to hunting which it spends most of its life in the air.
Dive
It is customary to call a whole genus of the duck family “ducks,” which differ from ducks proper in that its representatives prefer to get their food by diving into the water, which is where this funny name comes from. These birds are also famous because they are among the ten fastest, because their flight speed can reach 116 km/h.
Especially for those who want to know, there is an article on our website that will answer this question in detail.
We will finish the article with this bird, which is in tenth place in our review among birds. Visit our website often - we have a lot more interesting things!
Birds are rightfully considered to be the fastest living creatures on the planet. Moving in the air, flyers can develop colossal speeds. Some species of birds can compete in aerial flight with the first created aircraft.
– 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 distinguished by ease and longer duration than 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.
9. White-breasted American swift 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.
8. Average merganser 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.
7. Spur goose 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 species 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.
6. Grey-headed albatross 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 it is able to remain in flight and covers enormous distances throughout its life, circling the globe several times. 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.
5. Frigate 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. A distinctive feature of the male is an inflatable red throat pouch, with which he attracts the female. These birds have chosen islands of the tropical and subtropical zone as their habitat. They can be found in Australia and Polynesia. Since frigates themselves cannot swim, they hunt flying fish or take prey from aquatic birds.
4. Shoglock 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 reaching 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 on 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 often, mice and other small animals become its delicacy.
3. Needle-tailed swift 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, the 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.
2. Berkut 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.
1. Sapsan speed 350 km/h
- the fastest flyer on planet Earth. The 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.
