The world's fastest birds

Country guides

Top 10 List: The world's fastest birds [more Top-10 Lists] This list is based on the travelling speed when measured in level flying. The fastest animal is also a bird (see list), the Peregrine falcon, recorded when in a dive ( see notes below). The top of this list, the Spine-tailed swift, obviously gets it's name 'swift' for being so fast.
	Bird	max. recorded speed (kph)	speed (mph)
1.	Spine-tailed swift, also known as the White-throated Needletail (scientific name: Hirundapus caudacutus)	171	106
2.	Frigate bird	153	95
3.	Spur-winged goose	142	88
4.	Red-breasted merganser	129	80
5.	White-rumped swift	124	77
6.	Canvasback duck	116	72
7.	Eider duck	113	70
8.	Teal	109	68
=9.	Mallard	105	65
=9.	Pintail	105	65

notes:

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird, and in fact the fastest animal on the planet, when in its hunting dive, the stoop, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 mph (see fastest animals) However, it does not make the top ten when travelling in level flight.