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Birds in Caye Caulker, BelizeTop 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.

Other fastest animal lists include: