The fastest bird of prey in the world. Who is the fastest bird?

The flight speed of birds is 40-60 kilometers per hour. Which bird flies the fastest? It is not so easy to answer this question - after all, it is difficult to measure the time that birds spend to overcome a given path, and the data of scientists differ from each other. However, all sources agree that no other bird, like any animal, can overtake the peregrine falcon. During hunting and defense, this predator reaches speeds exceeding 300 km/h!

Characteristic signs

Peregrine falcon is a bird. There are 18 species that differ from each other in color and habitat. The predator is comparable in size to a crow, its length is on average 50 cm. The wingspan is more than a meter. Powerful chest with pronounced muscles, strong fingers with rounded thick claws, short, curved beak. The ends of the long tail and wings are sharp, which allows the bird to maneuver deftly. The back, wings and head of the bird are dark in color, the belly is light. A characteristic external difference is the dark stripes near the beak, reminiscent of a mustache.

Females reach 1.5 kg in weight and are much larger than the representatives of the stronger half. The weight of males does not exceed 800 g. There are no differences in coloring among different-sex representatives of this species. The peregrine falcon can hardly be called a songbird. Usually the sharp and loud voice of a predator can be heard during mating season or serious disturbance.

At what speed does the peregrine falcon fly? The normal speed of a peregrine falcon is limited to an average of 130 km/h. When attacking prey or defending its territory, the predator dives at a speed of about 330 km/h.

Habitat

The falcon is undemanding to climatic conditions, so its distribution area is limited only to Antarctica. It is found both in the hot tropics and in cold regions. In the wild, the peregrine falcon builds nests in places inaccessible to humans. He especially loves rocky and mountainous areas.

In forest thickets, the predator prefers to settle in hollow trees or high above the ground, evicting previous inhabitants from their homes. An important condition for the survival of peregrine falcons is the presence of a body of water near the nest. Some individuals prefer urban conditions. Thus, in the USA, peregrine falcons settle on the roofs of cathedrals and high-rise buildings.

Today in Russia there are about 5 thousand individuals, which is comparatively less than several decades ago. Therefore, the Red Book bird is under state protection.

Lifestyle

Having answered the question of which bird flies the fastest, ornithologists began to study the lifestyle of the record holders, thanks to which the curious layman can learn many interesting facts about the life of peregrine falcons. It turns out that these predators are real conservatives!

Falcons lead Their territories are inherited and belong to the same family for several generations. It is curious that peregrine falcons prefer to nest at a considerable distance from their fellows - about 2-5 km. Birds defend their possessions aggressively and actively, fearlessly attacking even such large enemies as an eagle or When a person appears, predators behave restlessly, circle overhead, and scream loudly.

Birds are monogamous. Their pairs are formed for several years. The female lays eggs once a year and incubates them together with the future father of the family. The hatched chicks are absolutely helpless. They will be able to fly only a month and a half after birth.

Nutrition

Most small birds know firsthand which bird flies the fastest and attacks mercilessly, because they make up the majority of the peregrine falcon’s diet. Since the winged predator usually hunts in flight, its prey includes sparrows, pigeons, larks, and blackbirds. However, the predator does not disdain mammals: hares, mice, hamsters, squirrels. Sometimes he can even feast on insects or frogs.

Peregrine falcons hunt in pairs. Having discovered prey, the predator rapidly gains height and falls on the prey. At this moment he gains maximum speed. The blow is so strong that the falcon trophy often falls apart.

The bird delivers its catch to the nest, where it deals with it. Unlike most other predators, the falcon eats only the body of its prey. Over time, numerous bone remains of victims accumulate around the peregrine falcon nests.

Bird records

Ornithologists managed not only to find out which bird flies the fastest, but also to identify the fastest running bird. It turned out to be an ostrich, which picks up speeds of up to 70 km/h, despite its impressive size and significant weight.

A famous diver is the penguin. In addition, the Antarctic inhabitant is able to compete with the best swimmers - in the water, the clumsy and clumsy polar inhabitant picks up speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Which bird flies the fastest and highest? There is no clear answer to this question. Usually predators fly the highest, since it is more convenient for them to look out for prey from a height. History knows of cases where migratory birds rose so high that they collided with airliners. Migrating swans and vultures were noted among them.

Which bird flies the fastest along a horizontal trajectory? Here the swift occupies a leading position. Its speed reaches 140 km/h, while the peregrine falcon moves no faster than 70 km/h during periods of calm.

Two species are fighting for the right to be called the fastest bird - the peregrine falcon and the swift. However, these two representatives of the bird world are considered the best in two different types of speed. The peregrine falcon develops the highest speed in a dive, and the black swift leaves no chance for the falcon in horizontal flight.

Peregrine falcon

Cheetahs are found in India, Africa and Asia, but the activities of poachers are gradually causing these unique predators to become extinct; in many countries they have already completely disappeared.

Lion and other cats

Among predators, the lion ranks second in speed; this large representative of the cat family can accelerate to 80 kilometers per hour. Lions are so far behind due to the structure of their body: they are very massive and heavy, but powerful legs with well-developed muscles allow them to develop such high speed. Although male lions rarely use their ability, giving lionesses the right to pursue prey. Lions are good at using their ability to run quickly, they will attack the herd, forcing individuals to separate from the rest and driving them into a trap.

Tigers run almost as fast as lions, especially certain species - for example, the Amur tiger can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, while moving through the snow. The leopard is slightly slower, up to 75 kilometers per hour. Preferred in ambushes, the jaguar can move at speeds of about 70 kilometers per hour, but only over very short distances.

Even ordinary domestic cats can run fast, their maximum speed is 50 kilometers per hour.

Coyote

The coyote is the fastest predator except for cats. These animals belong to the canine family, are small and heavy, but they can accelerate up to 65 kilometers per hour, although most often they run at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. They use their speed to hunt hares, marmots, ground squirrels and other small mammals, and sometimes take pheasants.

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There are many species of birds in the world. Some of them amaze the mind with their beauty and uniqueness, others with their miniature size. There are also individuals that are not quite similar to birds. They are terrestrial, however, they reach the largest sizes. We are talking about the African ostrich.

The African ostrich is considered the largest living bird. He is heavily built with a flat head and long neck. It has a straight, flat beak. Also, this bird has the largest eyes of all land animals - their diameter reaches five centimeters.

This bird has underdeveloped pectoral muscles and completely undeveloped wings. Therefore, the ostrich is a bird that cannot fly. But she can run perfectly, reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.

The head, neck, hips and “pectoral callus” are free from plumage, which in the ostrich is curly and loose. Most often, males have mostly black plumage, but a light tail and wings. Female ostriches are smaller in size and are characterized by a more uniform color (usually a gray-brown base tone and off-white wings).

Ostriches settle in dry, treeless areas in Africa or the Middle East. They can be found in savanna or semi-desert, in the north or south of the equatorial forest zone. Previously, the African ostrich was actively hunted, which is why there are not many places left where ostriches live in the wild. The bird population is saved by numerous ostrich farms around the world.

Ostriches are, for the most part, herbivores. They feed on shoots, flowers, fruits and seeds. But these birds will also not refuse small insects, reptiles and rodents. Due to the lack of teeth, the ostrich swallows pieces of wood, tiny stones, and pieces of iron to grind food in its stomach.

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The absolute record holder for flight speed among all birds is the peregrine falcon, which is common on all continents of the planet except Antarctica. Depending on the intensity and characteristics of the color, ornithologists divide these falcons into 17 subspecies, but they all fly equally fast, outpacing even black swifts.

Instructions

According to studies of peregrine falcons in the wild and during their hunting, in a swift and diving flight, peregrine falcons can reach speeds of over 322 kilometers per hour or about 90 meters in one second. Usually, when hunting, a falcon soars in the sky, and after discovering prey, it rises directly above it and literally falls down at almost a right angle. Ornithologists also call such a hunt the phrase “bet.” Directly close to the victim, the peregrine falcon hits it tangentially with its paws folded and firmly pressed to the body. Moreover, the bird makes its main “bet” on the powerful claws of the hind toes, which can deliver a very strong blow, which can cause instant death even in large rodents.

Sexual maturity in peregrine falcons occurs in the second year of life, and the formed pairs remain throughout the life of the birds. Falcons nest on rocks, near cliffs, and less often on roofs or ledges of residential buildings. In modern cities, of course, it is almost impossible to find such birds, but in the Middle Ages it was quite common to meet peregrine falcons in European cities.

This bird looks very proud and impressive. The body length is about 35-55 centimeters with a wingspan of almost one and a half meters. Unlike other bird families, female peregrine falcons are usually much larger than males. This feature is characteristic of almost all falcons. The weight of a female is 900-1400 grams, and that of a male is 500-750 grams. They look the same, without any differences in appearance depending on the sex of the birds.

Over the past few centuries, the peregrine falcon has been considered a rather rare bird, which, although highly adaptable to new landscapes and weather conditions, still simply does not have time to adapt to rapid climate changes and the invasion of the city into the birds’ usual habitats. For the first time, ornithologists began to sound the alarm in the second half of the 19th century, when the situation was significantly complicated by the beginning of the massive use of harmful pesticides in agriculture. In addition to the extinction of individual individuals, the hatching rate of chicks in others has significantly decreased, putting the entire species at risk. Currently, many types of growing materials are already prohibited, and scientists continue to fight for the preservation of peregrine falcons in forests, including Russian ones.

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The peregrine falcon hunts both rodents and other medium-sized birds - pigeons, ducks, starlings and others. Less often, but still small mammals can be caught in its claws.

According to zoological classification, vultures are a heterogeneous group of birds of prey. The fact is that it is formed by representatives of two families: hawks (vultures of the Old World) and American vultures, belonging to the New World. Vultures belonging to the first family number 15 species of birds in their genus, while representatives of the New World number only 5 species. Scientists say that both families are not closely related to each other, but are very similar in appearance to each other. The closest relatives of Old World vultures are vultures and bearded vultures, and members of the American vulture family are related to condors.

Vultures can be called conditionally birds of prey. The fact is that these feathered creatures rarely feed on live meat (they attack living animals), but more and more on carrion (animal corpses). The attack of vultures on living creatures can only be observed during the painful hunger of these birds, but even at this time predators choose the weakest or sickest animals. In general, vultures' diet includes dead mammals, reptiles and fish, as well as the carcasses of other birds. It is curious that the menu of scavengers living in India also includes the bodies of people who, according to custom, are thrown into the Ganges River after death.

The appearance of vultures, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired: they are unattractive birds. Their necks are long and completely naked, and their beaks are huge and hook-shaped. Vultures have large and wide wings, rounded at the edges. They have a very rigid stepped tail. The paws of these birds are strong, but the fingers are weak, equipped with short and blunt claws.

The smallest representative of this bird species is the American black cathart: its body length reaches no more than 60 cm, and its weight is no more than 1.9 kg. One of the largest vultures is currently considered the African long-eared vulture, which has a wingspan of up to 3 m and weighs up to 14 kg. The most famous scavengers are the long-eared, gray, brown and bald vultures, and their most noble relative is the crested vulture.

Vultures are agile and agile birds. They move on the ground with short and quick steps, and fly well, but slowly. They can climb to great heights. These predators have excellent vision, so they can easily track down carrion even from great heights. However, these birds also have their drawbacks: they lack a little intelligence to be completely happy. In addition, these predators are imprudent, timid, irritable, hot-tempered, as well as arrogant and often very cowardly. However, this character does not prevent them from being the most ferocious of all birds of prey.

The life of vultures is mainly spent wandering: they fly from one place to another for most of the year, and then suddenly appear in large numbers where they have never been before. While some species of vultures try to avoid humans, others practically walk along the village and city streets. These birds build their nests on inaccessible cliffs or in dense forests. Their chicks hatch completely helpless. Baby vultures become ready for independent life only a few months after birth.

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Birds are warm-blooded, oviparous vertebrates, which are distinguished by the fact that their body is covered with feathers and their forelimbs are wings, with some exceptions. There are a lot of birds in the world - large and small, beautiful and not so beautiful, predators and herbivores, but today we will talk about the fastest of them. So, let's begin.

Sapsan (322 km/h)

We immediately invite you to get acquainted with the fastest bird in the world, which is the Peregrine falcon, widespread on almost all continents of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica.

The peregrine falcon is not large in size - in this parameter it is similar to the most common crow. The head is black, the plumage is gray, and the abdomen is light gray. But this species of falcon is the fastest creature in the world. According to scientists' measurements, a bird in a diving flight can reach 322 kilometers per hour or 90 meters per second! And now the question is - how many cars do you know that can accelerate so quickly? We don’t think that every Ferrari or Porsche can drive at such a speed... However, in horizontal flight, a swift is faster than a falcon.

The peregrine falcon hunts very interestingly. Usually he plans in the sky, looking for a new victim. As soon as it finds a suitable “candidate”, it rises above it, and then dives down at a right angle, developing incredibly fast speed and hitting the victim with its paws pressed to the body. This blow is so strong that even a large game's head can fly off.

Black swift (160 km/h)

The second place is occupied by the swift. This is a small, ubiquitous bird whose weight varies on average from 50 to 150 grams. It is capable of reaching speeds above 160 km/h in the horizontal plane and, in this parameter, leaves behind even the Sapsa, which were discussed above.

True, now we are talking about the black swift. The plumage of this bird has a dark brown tint with a metallic tint, and if you look at it from above or below, it may seem that this is a real swallow. Females and males are colored the same, but the chicks are a little lighter.

Today, the black swift can be found in central and northern Asia, as well as in central Europe. Interestingly, the black swift goes to India and Africa for the winter. In ordinary life, the bird is most often found in cities, less often it can be found in forests.

Several centuries ago, our descendants ate black swifts. They explained it very simply - bird meat is very tasty.

Grey-headed albatross (150 km/h)

Albatrosses have a very interesting feature - their stomachs produce fat, which is stored in the upper compartment of the stomach. With its help, a bird can feed its chicks, spit at opponents, and in addition, fat helps satisfy hunger during long flights. By the way, they feed mainly on squid, but they are not averse to eating fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and even eat carrion. According to experts, grey-headed albatrosses are capable of diving to depths of up to seven meters for prey. And of course, the bird is known for its high speed characteristics. Its maximum speed can reach 150 km/h.

The species is now considered particularly vulnerable as its numbers continue to decline. However, according to data for 2004, there were more than 250 thousand individuals in the world, and they slowly reproduced on islands in the ocean. A lot of albatrosses die because of people, but this is not about hunting - the birds often get entangled in fishing nets and die.

Eider (100 km/h)

Outwardly, the eider is very similar to a duck and a goose at the same time, but it has little relation to them, since it is a seabird. You can meet it on the cold sea coasts of North America, Europe and Eastern Siberia. It flies little and prefers to spend all its free time in the water near the shore.

The eider is a large duck, its weight can reach 3 kg. Females and males differ in appearance. The latter have a predominantly white body, but the plumage of the female is dominated by brown, black and brown shades.

This bird is famous for its extremely funny gait - very clumsy and funny. This is not surprising, since eiders try to come ashore only during the breeding season. But despite its appearance, it has excellent flight speed - up to 100 km/h! Although it's hard to believe, it's true. However, eiders are also excellent divers - they can dive to depths of up to 50 meters.

As for nutrition, the bird prefers to eat shellfish, much less often eating fish or crustaceans. It obtains mollusks at the bottom of a reservoir by freely diving. Can survive without air for about one minute. Interestingly, it swallows food whole, which is subsequently digested in the muscular stomach.

Fieldfare (70 km/h)

Also on our list is the fieldfare, a very common species of starling in Europe. It is found, however, not only in European countries, but also in North Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Fieldfare are interesting because they create entire colonies, which usually include up to 50 pairs. They can be seen on the edges of forests, in meadows, and in parklands. Moreover, one part of the birds can lead a sedentary lifestyle, while the other is nomadic.

As for nutrition, fieldfare can eat both plant and animal foods. This type of bird causes considerable damage to farmers, “stealing” berries and fruits, so some of them shoot starlings, especially since this is not prohibited by law. By the way, their meat can be eaten.

Ostrich (70 km/h)

Last on our list is a flightless bird. Do such things exist, you ask? Of course, and you all are well aware of it - this is an ostrich! The bird’s “maximum speed” is about 70 km/h, but the mammal develops such a speed only in times of danger. Usually, the speed of movement rarely exceeds 50 kilometers. It is this creature that we will talk about in more detail.

The ostrich is the largest of all modern birds - its weight reaches 150 kg and its height is 2.5 meters. The body is dense, the neck is long, the head is small, the eyes are very large, and have thick eyelashes on the upper eyelid. The beak is large and wide. The wings are underdeveloped, but the hind limbs are powerful and long, allowing them to accelerate to high speeds. The plumage is curly and grows evenly throughout the body. At the same time, there is a bare area of ​​the body on the chest, on which the creature rests when it lies on the ground. Females and males differ not only in size (the former are smaller), but also in color - males always look brighter than females.

This bird can be found in countries such as Africa, Iran, Arabia and Iraq. Previously, they could be seen in other states, but in the last few decades their population has declined significantly due to intensive hunting. Habitat: semi-deserts and open savannas. Ostriches usually live in families, which consists of one adult male, several females and their chicks. They often graze with other animals, such as antelope. By the way, they are the first to signal impending danger, since they have not only tall stature, but also excellent eyesight. If danger overtakes them, they escape by running, the maximum speed of which is about 70 km per hour. The step width is up to 4-5 meters.

As for food, ostriches usually prefer to eat plants, although they can eat insects and even small animals (rodents, reptiles). But young chicks eat only animal food. The bird has no teeth at all, so to grind it, it swallows stones (and sometimes everything that gets in its way, even rusty nails and pieces of iron). Ostriches love water, although they can go without it for a long time - they get all their life-giving moisture from plants.

The male forms a pair in his harem only with a dominant female. It is interesting that all females lay eggs in a common nesting hole, which is raked out by the male himself. After all the eggs have been laid, the dominant female demands that the remaining females leave and buries the eggs with sand, and moves her own to the middle (she distinguishes them by their texture). This is where her role ends - now “dad” must hatch the chicks. During the day, the eggs are often left unattended and heated by the sun. However, the majority of chicks still die from insufficient hatching. By the way, to break an egg, the chick spends at least one hour of time - the shell is too thick. Already on the second day, the chicks begin to travel with their father around the surrounding area in search of food. The average lifespan of an ostrich is about 65-75 years. You can see the photo of the bird just above.

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 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.

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. The common merganser can be found 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 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.

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.

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 tropical and subtropical islands 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.

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, 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.

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. 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.

Nature has given us an incredible number of representatives of the animal world that amaze with their abilities. For example, when studying the varieties of birds, you never cease to be amazed at their bizarre colors, flight speed and other incredible indicators, thanks to which many are even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

It is interesting to know that the fastest bird in the world that never lands on the ground is the common swift. Just imagine that this bird is capable of staying in the air non-stop for 2-4 years, while it can mate, eat and drink, and fly up to 500,000 km during this time. The horizontal speed of this small bird reaches 140-180 km/h. From the side, during the flight of a needle-tailed swift, only a peculiar hum can be heard, which is created when the air is cut by the wings of this representative of the feathered family.

No less amazing is the fast bird itself, which runs along the ground. It is easy to guess that the speed with which it moves is about 50-60 km/h, but in case of danger this bird is capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h. This representative of the feathered family has muscular legs with only two toes. In addition, it is the ostrich’s legs that are the bird’s powerful defensive weapon, because thanks to them it not only runs away from predators, but also resists attacks.

However, the fastest bird deserves special attention, which, according to experts, is the peregrine falcon, capable of flying at an average speed of about 300 km/h. It belongs to a group of birds called "true falcons." All representatives of this group have a strong physique and a wide chest, hard plumage and incredibly strong muscles. Peregrine falcons have sharp and long wings, the span of which reaches 120 cm, but their tail is relatively short. The length of such a bird is no more than 50 cm, and males are one third smaller than females. Despite the fact that the peregrine falcon is a rather dangerous predator, its weight reaches only 1200 g.

The fastest bird in the air is hunting. Describing circles high in the sky, the peregrine falcon looks out for prey, and then dives like a stone onto its prey, developing a phenomenal speed that ranges from 220 to 320 km/h.

When falling, the peregrine falcon delivers a powerful blow with its claws and, if necessary, finishes off the victim on the ground. Although most often the victim dies immediately from such a powerful blow, and her body is often simply torn apart. Peregrine falcons hold their prey with one paw, which cannot be said about representatives of the hawk order.

The fastest bird lives on all continents except Antarctica; subspecies of the peregrine falcon are found throughout the world. The main prey of this predator are small and medium-sized birds, although they may well attack small mammals.

The peregrine falcon most often makes nests on rocks and tall trees, although cases have been recorded when the nests of these birds were found nested on the ground.

In 2005, scientists recorded a record for the maximum speed of a bird - 389 km/h, which is exactly the speed at which a peregrine falcon dived onto its prey.

The vision of this predator is also worthy of special attention, because the structure of the peregrine falcon’s eyes is somewhat reminiscent of binoculars and is capable of bringing objects closer. The lens is surrounded by a bony plate, which makes it possible to quickly focus vision on objects that are far away. There are two “yellow spots” in the eyes that are responsible for visual acuity. For example, a person has only one such spot. But thanks to the second spot, which magnifies the object, the bird looks at the world with the effect of binoculars. This is not surprising, because falling on its prey with such speed, the peregrine falcon is simply obliged to see all the little things and quickly react to any change in the movement of potential prey.

We have seen that it is absolutely wrong to assume that the fastest birds are necessarily only predators. This amazing animal world also stores a lot of interesting facts that make us even more admire the perfection of living creatures created by nature itself.