Birds are mysterious creature of the nature and every bird categories have their own superlatives as fastest, strongest, largest, and smallest. etc. The “fastest birds”, particular superlative is associated with their organisms such as wings and tails. So, the top ten fastest birds in the world are going to be observed through this article.
1. Peregrine falcon
Photo sourse – Pixabay.com
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the world fastest bird/ animal by air with the top speed of nearly 240 mph. It is the largest falcon over most of the continents with long, pointed wings and a long tail from the falcon family. Falcon’s shelter is from in many temperate areas of North America and nesting on skyscrapers, water towers, cliffs, power pylons, and other tall structures. The Peregrine falcon is also a fearsome hunter and its diet mostly consist of medium sized birds. But, sometimes hunt mammals, reptiles and even insects. Female falcons are considerably larger than male falcons and breed with pale radish brown eggs of 3-4 at once.
2. Golden Eagle
Photo sourse – Pixabay.com
The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is in the second place of its fast. He is reaching the speed of 150-200 mph in flight. This bird can be found all over the Northern Hemisphere and they have long, wide wings with separated, finger-like feathers on the ends. Golden eagle nests on cliffs and high places where they may breed for several years. A clutch consist of 1-4 eggs and it takes up to 45 days to hatch. The diet of the golden eagle is mainly comprised of other birds, reptiles, mammals and fish.
3. White-throated needle tail
Photo sourse – Singaporebirds.com
White-throated needle tail (Hirundapus caudacutus) has the ability to reach the maximum speed of 105 mph in horizontal flight. This species is a migratory bird that is breeding in Central Asia and Southern Siberia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent, South Asia and Australia. They have long curved wings and white markings and tail is short and square. The eggs are laid on a platform sticks placed in a hollow or similar crevice high in a tall conifer. The diet of the white throated needle tail is insects, such as termites, ants, beetles and flies.
4. Eurasian hobby
Photo sourse – wikipedia.org
Eurasian hobby’s (Falco subbuteo) top speed is 100mph and it is also from the falcon’s family. This species is a migrant bird that breeds across Africa, Europe and Asia. Wintering in Africa and Asia. Eurasian has gray upper parts with plain tail and boldly marked underparts with rusty leggings. They lay eggs on old nests of crows and other birds which is located in hedge or on the extreme edge of a woods. The clutch consist of 2-4 eggs at a time.
5. Frigate bird
Photo sourse – Pixabay.com
Frigate birds (Fregatidae) are from the family of sea birds that can reach the speed of 95 mph. This species are predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails and long hooked bill. Furthermore, their wings are long and pointed and can span up to 7.5 feet. Frigate birds fly over tropical and subtropical oceans for weeks. Their main diet is fish and squids that are caught when chased to the water surface. They nest in low growing shrub vegetation on islands and a single egg is laid for each breeding season.
6. Rock dove
Photo sourse – Pixabay.com
Rock dove (Columba livia domestica) can be called as the rock pigeon, common pigeon and can fly the speed up to 92.5 mph. This species of birds are tubby birds with small heads and short legs with broad pointed wings and wide, rounded tail. Most of this birds are bluish gray with two black bands on the wing and a black tip on the tail. Pigeons have become established in cities around the world these days. Pigeon’s diet commonly consist of seeds, fruits, rarely invertebrates. In addition, pigeons also eat foods that left by people. They nest on cliffs and rock edges for breeding in the wild and sometimes they may nest in stairwells, in rooms of abandoned buildings, or rain gutters. Their breeding clutch consist of 1-3 eggs at a time.
7. Spur-winged goose
Photo sourse – ebird.org
Spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis) is the largest waterfowl found in lakes, seasonal pools, rivers and deltas of Africa and they can achieve speed of 88 mph. This species is mainly black with white face and large white wing patches. Furthermore, their legs are long and pinkish red in colour. Generally male gooses are noticeably larger than the females. In addition, there is a larger red facial patch extending back from the male’s bill and a knob at the base of the upper mandible. Their diet consist of vegetables, fruits, seeds, aquatic plants, grains and sometimes eat small fish and insects. They nest on concealed vegetation near water, tree holes, and cavities in rocks.
8. Red-breasted merganser
Photo sourse – wikipedia.org
The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a diving duck that has the flying speed of 80.1 mph. It has a spiky crest and long thin red bill with serrated edges. Adult males of this species have a dark head with a green sheen, a white neck with a rusty breast, a black back and white underparts. Adult females a rusty head and a greyish body. Their diet mainly consist of small fish, but also aquatic insects, crustaceans, and frogs. It nests in shielded locations on the ground near lakes and rivers across northern North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia.
9. Gyrfalcon
Photo sourse – Pixabay.com
The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is the largest of falcon species and can reach the speed of 80 mph. they have pointed narrow wings and tail is relatively long. This species has a body colour of regal white bird with black spotting and can exist in shades of white, gray and dark brown. Predominantly they hunt birds for their food. The gyrfalcon prefers cliff faces for nesting and they occasionally use abandoned crow nests. This species lays clutch of 1-5 eggs at a time for breeding.
10. Grey-headed albatross
Photo sourse – ebird.org
The Grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) is in the tenth place of its speed and it is 79 mph. This species is a large sea bird that situated across the southern oceans. Their body and chest is white, head is in light grey, wings are in dark gray and bill is black in colour with golden outline along the top and bottom. Usually the diet of this bird consist of Squid, fish, crustaceans, dead animals, cephalopods and lampreys. The cone-shaped nests are built on cliffs or steep slopes with grass and mud for their breeding. They lay single egg at a time.
