When it comes to flight speed, birds are the champions of the animal kingdom. While most birds fly at speeds between 30-50 mph, some are capable of truly astounding velocities. So which birds can propel themselves through the air at 70 mph or more?
The World’s Fastest Birds
Only a handful of bird species have been clocked flying at speeds above 70 mph. Here are some of the world’s fastest birds and their recorded top airspeeds:
- Peregrine Falcon – 200 mph
- Golden Eagle – 120-200 mph
- White-throated Needletail – 105 mph
- Eurasian Hobby – 100 mph
- Frigatebird – 95 mph
- Spine-tailed Swift – 100 mph
As you can see, the Peregrine Falcon far outpaces all other birds when it comes to diving speed. No other bird comes close to reaching the Peregrine’s 200 mph stoop. But there are several others species, like the Golden Eagle, White-throated Needletail, and Eurasian Hobby that can reach speeds of 100 mph or greater.
What Makes These Birds So Fast?
So what gives these birds the ability to fly at blazing fast speeds? Here are some of the key adaptations that allow certain bird species to reach 70+ mph:
- Streamlined bodies – Birds built for speed have slim, aerodynamic bodies to reduce drag.
- Long, tapered wings – A long wingspan and pointed wingtips promote lift and efficiency in fast fliers.
- Powerful flight muscles – Fast birds have large pectoral muscles to power sustained high-speed flight.
- Lightweight skeletons – Light, hollow bones minimize weight and boost acceleration.
Fast birds combine all these traits to create a body custom-made for speed. Their streamlined, lightweight frames allow them to whip through the air with minimal drag. Their muscular power and long wings provide the thrust to reach incredible velocities.
Fastest Bird – The Peregrine Falcon
No bird is faster than the Peregrine Falcon. When diving on prey, the Peregrine can exceed 200 mph, making it the fastest animal on Earth. So what makes this raptor so incredibly swift?
- Aerodynamic, teardrop-shaped body ideal for decreasing drag.
- Long, pointed wings that can measure over 3 feet tip-to-tip.
- Hollow bones filled with air sacs to minimize weight.
- Large chest muscles that account for up to 20% of their body weight.
Peregrines use their incredible speed to catch other birds in mid-air. By tucking in their wings and diving, they can stoop at speeds over 200 mph to strike and kill prey. No bird can match the Peregrine’s blistering velocity.
Peregrine Falcon Facts
Wingspan | Length | Weight | Top Speed |
---|---|---|---|
3.5 ft | 15 inches | 2 lbs | 200+ mph |
Second Fastest Bird – The Golden Eagle
After the Peregrine Falcon, the Golden Eagle is the next fastest bird, capable of diving at 150-200 mph. Golden Eagles use their speed and power to hunt rabbits, foxes, and large birds. Here’s what gives Golden Eagles their blazing speed:
- Long, broad wings spanning up to 7 feet
- Smooth, compact body shape to reduce drag
- Strong legs and large talons to strike and grasp prey
- Exceptionally strong chest muscles for flapping flight
Golden Eagles achieve their highest speeds when diving to attack prey. By folding their wings back, they can enter into a steep dive and accelerate up to 200 mph before striking with their talons. Their high-speed dives make Golden Eagles fierce hunters able to take down large mammals and birds.
Golden Eagle Facts
Wingspan | Length | Weight | Top Speed |
---|---|---|---|
7 ft | 3 ft | 10-15 lbs | 150-200 mph |
Third Fastest Bird – The White-throated Needletail
Coming in third for top speed is the White-throated Needletail. This large swift has been clocked at 105 mph in level flight. With its incredibly fast flapping wings, the Needletail is the fastest bird powered by wingbeats alone. The Needletail’s speed comes from its:
- Sleek, cigar-shaped body built for cutting through the air
- Long, curved wings ideal for flapping flight
- Short legs and feet to decrease drag
- Large pectoral muscles driving its wingstrokes
In addition to its blistering flight speed, the Needletail spends almost its entire life in flight, even sleeping on the wing. It’s combination of nonstop flight and extreme velocity make it a true speed demon of the bird world.
White-throated Needletail Facts
Wingspan | Length | Weight | Top Speed |
---|---|---|---|
1.5 ft | 1 ft | 4.5 oz | 105 mph |
Other Fast Birds
While the Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, and White-throated Needletail are the fastest birds, many others can reach speeds over 70 mph. Here are some other birds that make the 70 mph list:
- Eurasian Hobby – Dives at up to 100 mph
- Frigatebird – Reaches 95 mph in flight
- Spine-tailed Swift – Maximum speed around 100 mph
- Anna’s Hummingbird – Dives up to 90 mph
- Merlin – Maximum speed estimated at 80 mph
Though not record breakers, these birds are still incredibly fast fliers. Their swift flight helps them catch prey and escape threats.
Why Fly So Fast?
For most speedy birds, the purpose behind their blazing velocity is simple – catching food. The Peregrine Falcon, for example, reaches 200+ mph solely to knock its prey out of the sky with the force of its impact. Other birds like the Golden Eagle and Eurasian Hobby use speed to overwhelm and surprise prey on the ground. A few exceptionally fast birds, like swifts and hummingbirds, rely on speed entirely for feeding by catching insects on the wing.
Outside of hunting, high speed also helps birds escape predators and swiftly travel between areas. But in most cases, the need for extreme speed comes down to the simple need to catch food when living life on the wing.
Fastest Flying Bird vs Fastest Running Bird
How does the speed of fast flying birds compare to quick running birds? The fastest flying birds greatly exceed the fastest runners. Compare the Peregrine Falcon’s 200 mph dive to the fastest running bird – the Ostrich. Ostriches can sprint up to 70 mph, less than half the speed of a Peregrine in full stoop. Even flightless birds built for running simply can’t keep up with the speeds achieved by birds in the air.
The design of birds for flight – with lightweight builds, aerodynamic bodies, and large powerful muscles – gives them an advantage in achieving high speeds. On the ground, running birds lose that evolutionary edge. So when comparing the fastest airspeeds versus ground speeds, flying birds will always come out on top in terms of velocity.
Summary
Only a select few birds can propel themselves to true high speeds exceeding 70 mph:
- Peregrine Falcon – Fastest bird, diving at over 200 mph
- Golden Eagle – Dives at 150-200 mph
- White-throated Needletail – Flies at 105 mph
- Eurasian Hobby – 100 mph dives
- Frigatebird, Spine-tailed Swift – Around 100 mph
These birds owe their speed to adaptations like streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, lightweight skeletons, and powerful flight muscles. The fastest fliers use their extreme speed to catch prey on the wing or strike from above. No land birds can match the velocities achieved by birds designed for speed in the air.
So while most birds fly comfortably between 30-50 mph, the speed elite of the avian world soar far faster – at velocities in excess of 70, 80, or even 100 mph. The Peregrine Falcon stands supreme at over 200 mph, making it by far the fastest creature on Earth for its size.
Conclusion
Only a handful of birds can achieve airspeeds faster than 70 mph. The Peregrine Falcon is in a class of its own, diving at over 200 mph to catch prey mid-flight. Other speedy birds like the Golden Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, and White-throated Needletail all reach maximum airspeeds between 100-200 mph. These birds employ a suite of adaptations from their streamlined bodies to powerful flight muscles to reach such fast velocities.
In the animal kingdom, birds are the speed demons of the sky. No land animal can match a Peregrine Falcon stooping at 200 mph or a Frigatebird cruising at 95 mph. So for speed, birds dominate thanks to their evolution for fast and efficient aerial flight. When it comes to flying fast, birds do it best.