List of birds by flight speed
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:37:08 AM Wikipedia source
This is a list of the fastest flying birds in the world. A bird's velocity is necessarily variable; a hunting bird will reach much greater speeds while diving to catch prey than when flying horizontally. The bird that can achieve the greatest airspeed is the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), able to exceed 320 km/h (200 mph) in its dives. A close relative of the common swift, the white-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus), is commonly reported as the fastest bird in level flight with a reported top speed of 169 km/h (105 mph). This record remains unconfirmed as the measurement methods have never been published or verified. The record for the fastest confirmed level flight by a bird is 111.5 km/h (69.3 mph) held by the common swift.
Tables
· Birds by flying speed
Peregrine falcon
Peregrine falcon
Common name
Peregrine falcon
Species
Falco peregrinus
Family
Falconidae
Average horizontal speed
65–90 km/h40–56 mph
Maximum horizontal speed
110 km/h68 mph
Maximum airspeed
389 km/h242 mph
Remark
High-speed dive—pointed long wings
Saker falcon
Saker falcon
Common name
Saker falcon
Species
Falco cherrug
Family
Falconidae
Maximum horizontal speed
150 km/h93 mph
Maximum airspeed
320 km/h200 mph
Remark
High-speed dive—pointed long wings
Golden eagle
Golden eagle
Common name
Golden eagle
Species
Aquila chrysaetos
Family
Accipitridae
Average horizontal speed
45–51 km/h28–32 mph
Maximum horizontal speed
129 km/h80 mph
Maximum airspeed
322 km/h200 mph
Grey-headed albatross
Grey-headed albatross
Common name
Grey-headed albatross
Species
Thalassarche Chrysostoma
Family
Diomedeidae
Maximum horizontal speed
127 km/h79 mph
Remark
2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) wingspan allows for high power use from wind.
Gyrfalcon
Gyrfalcon
Common name
Gyrfalcon
Species
Falco rusticolus
Family
Falconidae
Average horizontal speed
80–100 km/h50–62 mph
Maximum horizontal speed
145 km/h90 mph
Maximum airspeed
187–209 km/h116–130 mph
Remark
High-speed dive—pointed long wings
White-throated needletail
White-throated needletail
Common name
White-throated needletail
Species
Hirundapus caudacutus
Family
Apodidae
Maximum horizontal speed
169 km/h105 mph
Maximum airspeed
169 km/h105 mph
Remark
High-speed wings
Common swift
Common swift
Common name
Common swift
Species
Apus apus
Family
Apodidae
Maximum horizontal speed
111.6 km/h69.3 mph
Maximum airspeed
166 km/h103 mph
Remark
High-speed wings
Eurasian hobby
Eurasian hobby
Common name
Eurasian hobby
Species
Falco subbuteo
Family
Falconidae
Maximum airspeed
159 km/h99 mph
Remark
Can sometimes outfly the swift as it eats them and catches them on the wing.
Frigatebird
Frigatebird
Common name
Frigatebird
Species
Fregata
Family
Fregatidae
Maximum airspeed
153 km/h95 mph
Remark
Slow gliding/soaring high aspect ratio
Spur-winged goose
Spur-winged goose
Common name
Spur-winged goose
Species
Plectropterus gambensis
Family
Anatidae
Maximum airspeed
143 km/h89 mph
Remark
High-speed wings
Red-breasted merganser
Red-breasted merganser
Common name
Red-breasted merganser
Species
Mergus serrator
Family
Anatidae
Maximum airspeed
130 km/h81 mph
Remark
High–aspect ratio wings
Canvasback
Canvasback
Common name
Canvasback
Species
Aythya valisineria
Family
Anatidae
Maximum airspeed
128 km/h80 mph
Remark
High-speed wings
Common eider
Common eider
Common name
Common eider
Species
Somateria mollissima
Family
Anatidae
Maximum airspeed
123 km/h76 mph
Remark
High-speed wings
Eurasian teal
Eurasian teal
Common name
Eurasian teal
Species
Anas crecca
Family
Anatidae
Maximum airspeed
97 km/h60 mph
Remark
High–aspect ratio wings
Anna's hummingbird
Anna's hummingbird
Common name
Anna's hummingbird
Species
Calypte anna
Family
Trochilidae
Maximum horizontal speed
56 km/h35 mph
Maximum airspeed
70 km/h43 mph
Remark
Rapidly-beating wings
| Common name | Image | Species | Family | Average horizontal speed | Maximum horizontal speed | Maximum airspeed | Remark |
| Peregrine falcon | | Falco peregrinus | Falconidae | 65–90 km/h40–56 mph | 110 km/h68 mph | 389 km/h242 mph | High-speed dive—pointed long wings |
| Saker falcon | | Falco cherrug | Falconidae | 150 km/h93 mph | 320 km/h200 mph | High-speed dive—pointed long wings | |
| Golden eagle | | Aquila chrysaetos | Accipitridae | 45–51 km/h28–32 mph | 129 km/h80 mph | 322 km/h200 mph | |
| Grey-headed albatross | | Thalassarche Chrysostoma | Diomedeidae | 127 km/h79 mph | in) wingspan allows for high power use from wind. | ||
| Gyrfalcon | | Falco rusticolus | Falconidae | 80–100 km/h50–62 mph | 145 km/h90 mph | 187–209 km/h116–130 mph | High-speed dive—pointed long wings |
| White-throated needletail | | Hirundapus caudacutus | Apodidae | 169 km/h105 mph | 169 km/h105 mph | High-speed wings | |
| Common swift | | Apus apus | Apodidae | mph | 166 km/h103 mph | High-speed wings | |
| Eurasian hobby | | Falco subbuteo | Falconidae | 159 km/h99 mph | Can sometimes outfly the swift as it eats them and catches them on the wing. | ||
| Frigatebird | | Fregata | Fregatidae | 153 km/h95 mph | Slow gliding/soaring high aspect ratio | ||
| Spur-winged goose | | Plectropterus gambensis | Anatidae | 143 km/h89 mph | High-speed wings | ||
| Red-breasted merganser | | Mergus serrator | Anatidae | 130 km/h81 mph | High–aspect ratio wings | ||
| Canvasback | | Aythya valisineria | Anatidae | 128 km/h80 mph | High-speed wings | ||
| Common eider | | Somateria mollissima | Anatidae | 123 km/h76 mph | High-speed wings | ||
| Eurasian teal | | Anas crecca | Anatidae | 97 km/h60 mph | High–aspect ratio wings | ||
| Anna's hummingbird | | Calypte anna | Trochilidae | 56 km/h35 mph | 70 km/h43 mph | Rapidly-beating wings |
References
- Sustained ground speed for approximately nine hours with no rest on high tailwinds during an Antarctic storm.
- The BBC warns against taking this value too seriously, as the methods employed to measure it have never been published,
- "Basic Facts About Peregrine Falcon"http://www.defenders.org/peregrine-falcon/basic-facts
- "All About the Peregrine Falcon"https://web.archive.org/web/20080416195055/http://www.fws.gov/endangered/recovery/peregrine/QandA.html#fast
- BBC Earth Newshttps://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8539000/8539383.stm
- Extreme Sciencehttp://www.extremescience.com/peregrine-falcon.htm
- Air & Space magazinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/falling-with-the-falcon-7491768/
- "The Saker Falcon in Austria"https://saker-info.at/biology.html
- "Saker Falcon"https://blueplanetbiomes.org/saker_falcon.php
- Aquila chrysaetoshttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Aquila%20chrysaetos.html
- "Guinness Records - Fastest Bird Level Flight"http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/speed/fastest-bird-level-flight
- The Aukhttps://academic.oup.com/auk/article/121/4/1208-1213/5147938
- "Gyrfalcon - Animal Ark"http://animalark.org/education/learn-about-animals/raptors/gyrfalcon/
- Falco rusticolushttps://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/201/13/2061.full.pdf
- Encyclopædia Britannica Onlinehttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/576993/swift
- Hobby, Falco subbuteohttp://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/hobby.asp
- Animal Corner; Sea Birds Frigate Bird Galapagos Sea Birds - The Great Frigate Bird and the Magnificent Frigate Birdhttp://www.animalcorner.co.uk/galapagos/gtfrigatebird.html
- Free find Spur-Winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis - Kenya Birdshttp://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/goose-sw.htm
- The Cornell lab of Ornithology - Cornell University Bird Guide - Red-breasted Merganserhttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-breasted_merganser/id
- Ducks Unlimited - Wet-lands conversation Canvasbackhttp://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/canvasback
- Family XXXIX. Anatinae. Ducks. Family The Eider Duck. [common Eider.] Genus Fuligula mollissima, Linn. [Somateria mollishttp://web4.audubon.org/bird/boa/F39_G5k.html
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Scienceshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677254