Which bird flies the fastest? Bird records. The most famous bird records

27.09.2019

Birds are very interesting creatures, they are strikingly different from all other animals, and even from each other. Some birds spend almost their entire lives in the air, the second are generally devoid of wings and feathers and can only run on the ground, and still others prefer exclusively the water element ...

The biggest bird

It `s naturally, . The growth of the largest individuals of the African ostrich reaches 2.80 meters, with a weight of 170 kilograms.

The smallest bird

This record belongs to . The smallest hummingbird weighs only 1.5 grams with a body length of about 5 centimeters.

The fastest flying bird

There is simply no equal among flying birds. At a straight distance, the peregrine falcon is able to accelerate to 200 km/h, and in the so-called diving fall while hunting, the feathered predator can reach speeds of up to 325 km/h. By the way, the peregrine falcon is not only the fastest bird, but also the fastest animal on the planet.

The fastest running bird

It is probably no secret to anyone that they are the best runners among all birds. They are able to run at a speed of 80 km/h. With such a run, the step of an ostrich can reach up to 8 meters in length.

Heaviest flying bird

Here the first place is shared by the large African and dudak. Surprisingly, these birds weigh 18-20 kg.

longest living bird

Big yellow-crested cockatoo lives in captivity for about 80 years. However, it is believed that in vivo The life expectancy of this parrot can be 100 years or more.

The sharpest vision

Second record. This bird is so good eyesight, which is able to recognize a mouse from a distance of 8 kilometers.

The largest wingspan

At wandering albatross this figure is 3.6 meters. Slightly smaller wingspan andean condor- a predator of the falcon family - 3 meters 20 centimeters.

longest beak

The longest beak relative to body size has sword-billed hummingbird. The length of the beak of this small bird can reach 10 cm, with a total length of 15 cm, i.e. their beak is 2 times longer than the body.

highest flight

Here it is actually very difficult to determine who is the real champion in this parameter. According to authentic known cases first place belongs vulture Ruppel, this bird flew at an altitude of more than 11 kilometers.

The most voracious bird

Cuban tody eats several thousand insects per day, total weight which is about 60-65% of the weight of the bird itself.

The fastest bird or the maximum number of strokes per minute

Blue-tailed Amazonia- another record-breaking bird from the hummingbird family, makes 80 wing beats per second.

Best Floating Bird

Penguins are the best swimmers in the bird world. Stronger than other species stands out emperor penguin - he swims at a speed of 36 km / h, and what is generally unbelievable can dive to a depth of almost 500 meters.

The hardiest bird

polar duck able to withstand temperatures of -110 degrees Celsius. This makes it not only the hardiest member of the feathered family, but also the hardiest animal in general.

The loudest bird

indian peacock screams so loudly (and also ugly) that it can be heard for several kilometers.

Most Feathers

At swan more than 25 thousand feathers.

The most poisonous bird

Yes, birds are also poisonous! The most dangerous are representatives of the genus pitowy. The entire body and feathers are saturated with one of the most dangerous toxins in the world - homobatrachotoxin. This poison is deadly even for humans.

Everyone probably once asks the question: what is the most fast bird in the world? What is her speed? What does she look like and what does she eat? We decided to answer all these questions in our new article, which will detail the lifestyle, habitats, habits of the world's fastest creature, and also, as a bonus, we will provide here a list of nine other birds that 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 dive flight reaches three hundred and twenty-two kilometers per hour. For comparison, this equals 90 meters per second! No other animal in the world can achieve such a speed.

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Meet the peregrine falcon, the world's fastest flyer. This handsome man from the family of falcons stands out from the whole animal world not only for his super speed, but also for his extremely high intelligence. Since ancient times, people have tamed the fastest birds in the world and used falconry, which was popular in the Middle Ages.

By the way, the peregrine falcon has always remained a bird, which not everyone could keep. In the famous English work Boke of St. Albans, dated 1486, says that only a person of high rank, such as a duke or prince, can have a peregrine falcon.

Unfortunately, it is 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 DDT among them, the already few peregrine falcons were literally on the verge of extinction. These chemical substances, which were sprayed on the fields, had an extremely detrimental effect on this type of bird, because of which their livestock began to rapidly decline. And only in 1970, when the use of these pesticides in agriculture was banned, 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, and females are 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 meeting with it, the victim's head often flies off. It feeds on birds such as pigeons and ducks, and small mammals such as mice, ground squirrels, hares and squirrels.

Peregrine falcon is mentioned in the appendix to the CITES convention, where it is strictly forbidden to use it for sale in any part of the planet. Also, the fastest bird in the world is listed in the Red Book Russian Federation as an extremely rare species.

Winged lightning: top 10 fastest birds in the world

And here are a few more representatives of the world of birds that will conquer you with their speed. Who deservedly takes first place, we already know - without a doubt, this is a peregrine falcon - the fastest creature in the world. But who follows him in speed:

Golden eagle

The golden eagle quite deservedly takes an honorable second place in our list of the fastest in the world, because the speed of its flight can reach 240-320 km / h, which is not much lower than the speed of its predecessor. Berkut is very big birds from 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 medium-sized birds and rodents, and small mammals, for example, it can take a sheep. Due to its dark coloration with golden feathers on the neck and neck, this bird received the name Golden Eagle, which is translated from of English language means golden eagle.

needle-tailed swift

The needle-tailed swift, also called the keytail, 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 understood. The weight of this bird does not exceed one hundred and seventy-five grams, and the body length is twenty-two centimeters. The needle-tailed swift chose 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.

Cheglok

This relatively small bird (about twenty-eight to thirty-six centimeters in size) 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. But, unlike him, the flight speed of the Hobby is approximately 150 km / h. Also, this feathered predator is famous for the fact that it never builds its nests, and for breeding chicks it prefers to occupy the old dwellings of other birds, for example, a sparrow hawk, a crow or a magpie.

Frigate

Frigate - bright and unusual bird, prefers to live in hot climates, for example, on Seychelles or in 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 bag, by the size of which the females determine the most promising male. Frigates got their name in honor of the warships of the same name, as they have a 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 gray-headed albatross confidently holds the championship in horizontal flight speed, for which it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. He can move 127 km / h without slowing down for eight hours, which he proved in 2004. As its name implies, this albatross has an ash-gray color, and its length often reaches eighty centimeters.

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spurred goose

Spur geese are also very swift birds, because 142 km / h is their maximum speed. These birds live in Africa, feed on aquatic plants, and also do not disdain cultural crops - wheat and corn. The clawed goose got its name because of the sharp poisonous spurs on the wing fold. Geese specifically look for blister beetles, the use of which supplies goose spurs with poisonous substances.

Middle merganser

But the average merganser, despite the funny name, is one of the most typical representatives of the duck family. The coloring also has the corresponding - white-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 develop a truly record speed - 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 the fastest flight among them - it can fly within 124 km / h. The swift feeds on various insects, thanks to the hunt for which it spends in the air. most own life.

dive

It is customary to call dives a whole genus from the duck family, which differs from, in fact, ducks in that its representatives prefer to get their own food by diving into the water, from where this funny name came from. These birds are also known because they are among the ten fastest, because their flight speed can reach 116 km / h.

Especially for those who want to know, an article is posted on our website that will answer this question in detail.

With this bird, which is in tenth place in our review among birds, we will end the article. Visit our website often - we have a lot of interesting things!

Birds are rightfully considered the fastest living creatures on the planet. Moving in the air, flyers can develop tremendous speed. Some species of birds can compete in air flight with the first aircraft created.

speed 116 km/h

- a large waterfowl opens the rating of the fastest birds on the planet. With a body length of 48 to 56 cm and a mass of up to 1.5 kg, the diver is capable of speeds up to 116 km/h in the air. Its flight is light and longer duration among others from the duck family. In addition, the duck runs quite fast and swims well. This species is widespread in the Central Central Asia and Western Siberia. These birds prefer to settle near fresh water bodies overgrown with reeds. The main subsistence of diving is seeds, aquatic plants, shellfish, and fish.

speed 124 km/h

With a horizontal flight speed of 124 km / h, it is located on the ninth line in the ranking of the fastest birds in the world. These are small birds that look like swallows and are widespread in Europe, North Africa and Asia. Rocky areas are chosen for habitat, but they 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 nests, but to settle in other people's dwellings - 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, the duck can gain speed 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 average merganser in North America and Eurasia. For habitation, he chooses flowing lakes and rivers, where he feeds on fish, frogs, insects and worms.

speed 142 km/h

It is one of the fastest birds in the world, which is capable of flying at speeds up to 142 km/h. This type belongs to the family of ducks and has quite large sizes: in length it can reach 1 meter, and in body weight it gains up to 6 kg. Males are larger than females. The clawed goose runs quite well and nimbly on the ground, and in the manner of movement it resembles a heron. It is distributed in South America, in particular in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and prefers to settle near freshwater bodies of water. As food, these geese prefer aquatic and coastal plants, as well as insects and small fish.

speed 147 km/h

With dimensions of 81 cm in length and a wingspan of 2 meters, it can gain speed in airspace up to 147 km / h. For a very long time, it is able to stay in flight and covers huge distances in its entire life, bending around several times. Earth. 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 forage for food.

speed 150 km/h

It is one of the fastest flyers in the world, gaining speed up to 150 km/h. Most of the time, frigatebirds prefer to hover 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 growth of 1.1 m in length, they can reach 1.5 kg in body weight. Skillful flyers move rather clumsily and cannot swim. Distinctive feature the male is an inflatable throat bag of red color, with which he lures the female. These birds have chosen tropical and tropical islands as their habitat. subtropical belt. They can be found in Australia and Polynesia. Since the frigatebirds themselves cannot swim, they hunt flying fish or take prey from water 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 up to 160 km/h. Outwardly, it looks like a 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 form of a sickle. The flyer is distributed throughout the Eurasia continent 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

Opens the top three fastest birds in the world. A flyer of the swift family with a wingspan of 55 cm is capable of gaining speed in horizontal flight of 170 km / h. The length of his body reaches 22 cm, and the weight is about 150 grams. Spiny swifts can be found in South Asia, Far East and Siberia. For settlement, they choose groves and forests near water bodies. A feature of these flyers is that they never land on the ground.

speed 320 km/h

- one of the fastest flyers, capable of gaining speed up to 320 km / h in flight. It 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 agile. Having noticed the prey, the golden eagle rapidly picks up speed and rushes to the prey. The predator chooses birds, rodents, hares as victims. It can also feed on large, sick prey in the form of roe deer, deer, sheep and calves. The habitat of the golden eagle 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

- most fast flyer On the Earth. Predatory bird 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 develops a speed of up to 350 km / h, this distance is about 1 km per minute. The body of an adult peregrine falcon can reach half a meter in length, and the bird can gain weight up to 1 kg. He likes to hunt medium-sized birds - pigeons, thrushes, starlings and ducks. Sometimes small mammals can become its victims. For habitation, the hunter chooses inaccessible places for humans - this is most often rocky shores reservoirs.

The fastest bird is the black swift. The length of his body is only 16-17 cm, and the weight is from 30 to 60 grams. But the wingspan is impressive - 40-50 cm. Swifts look like swallows, however, they do not belong to this family. Their closest relatives are hummingbirds!

The shape of the body of the swift has a curved shape, the wings are sharp at the ends, a short neck, a flattened head - this bird has everything for a fast flight. Streamlining, strong rib cage, large wingspan - all this allows her to reach speeds of up to 150 km / h!

The legs are very short, and all four fingers point forward, which makes it extremely difficult for her to take off on her own. If the swift fell to the ground, then it will take off with difficulty. Weak, short legs make the birds helpless, they flounder for a long time, trying in vain to raise their body to take off. Sharp claws allow you to successfully cling to uneven vertical surfaces. It is for this reason that the swifts build their nests on the steep banks of rivers, in quarries, on high towers etc. Flying out of such a nest is easy, the swift is thrown out of it, opening its wings and soaring.

Another feature of the swift is its beak, which the bird cannot peck at. In order to get food for itself, the swift is forced to fly. It opens its beak and waits for insects to get there. Butterflies, flies, gadflies, beetles - this is his daily diet. In search of food, swifts fly huge distances in a day - from 500 to 900 km. They also adapted to drink water and swim on the fly; for these purposes, birds choose large reservoirs.

Swifts collect material for building a nest in the air. Hairs, fluffs, scraps of leaves that have fallen into the bird's mouth are glued together with saliva. It takes a whole week to build a nest, after completion construction works the female lays 2-3 white eggs. The mother sits on the eggs for 18 days, and the father of the family carries food to his chosen one. Babies are born naked and defenseless, parents feed them with a mass that they burp from the stomach. These foods are nutritious and easy to digest.

Already after 1.5-2 months. after birth, swifts fly out of the parental nest and independently begin to get their own food. This amazing bird hovering in the sky for days on end. How do they do it? Birds are able to sleep during the flight, having climbed on great height, they fall asleep and fly in circles. True, every five seconds they have to wake up in order to flap their wings. Swifts lead such a life for 2-3 years. This is how a bird flies about 500 thousand km without ever sitting down to rest!

With the advent of rainy and cool weather, insects disappear in the air, birds are deprived of food. Adult swifts fly long distances from the nest in search of food and wait there until it gets warmer. Shearlings fall into a stupor and temporarily do not need food.

Swifts are migratory birds, they fly into tropical Africa without waiting for the cold. As soon as the number of insects decreases, the birds prepare for the flight. They return to their homeland quite late, in the second half of May, when the heat settles and there are plenty of insects. Arriving in their old nests, swifts make repairs in them, and if they are destroyed, they build new ones.

Swifts have almost no enemies; predators cannot keep up with them. Only a falcon can hunt a young or sick swift that cannot develop full speed. Adult birds easily evade persecution. Here they are, the fastest birds!

Of the variety of birds living on Earth, and there are about 9,000 species of them, there are special ones. For example, it is known about the fastest running birds and birds that develop in flight top speed.

Birds that run fastest

Birds that cannot fly, trying to adapt to life in wild nature learned to run fast. Most of them live in southern hemisphere. The developed muscles of the legs and a powerful body contribute to fast running.

African ostrich

Of all the birds, the African ostrich develops the highest speed when running. This bird is also a record holder in size, being the largest representative of birds. The speed that an African ostrich can easily keep for a long run is 50 km / h. When accelerating, he runs at a speed of 80 km/h. The record of this huge bird is 97 km/h.

Such a rapid run is possible thanks to powerful developed legs with two fingers. The wings help the ostrich balance while running. This fast-running bird lost its ability to fly long ago.

Nandu

Nandu bird lives in the steppes South America. Both externally and in its way of life, this bird is very similar to an ostrich. Nandu, sensing danger, is able to run at a speed of 60 km / h. Of the predators, only a puma or a jaguar can catch up with an adult bird. The second name of the nandu is the American ostrich.

Ostrich Emu

emu like African ostriches and rhea, are top-notch runners. Their maximum running speed is 50 km/h. Surprisingly, monthly emu chicks are already able to run on a par with their mother, developing a speed of 50 km / h. Most emus are found in Australia. AT ordinary life they prefer brisk walking at a speed of 4 to 7 km/h.

Birds that fly fastest

All birds, with a few exceptions, can fly, but their flight speed is very different. The fastest birds fly are those that use their wings “correctly”. The flight speed is also affected by the structure of the skeleton and the weight of birds.