The roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) has been measured at a surprising speed of 26 miles per hour. Ostriches have forfeited the power of flight to live this terrestrial lifestyle, but one American bird combines remarkable running speed and the power of flight. The presence of hungry big cats and other predators makes speed an important survival strategy too. Ostriches are built for life in the semi-deserts and savannahs of Africa where it can be a long run between waterholes and feeding grounds. These flightless giants can reach incredible speeds of over 43 miles per hour. The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the undisputed fastest running bird in the world. The fastest running birds are the ratites, which are large flightless birds from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. Birds run bipedally, just like we do, but some species are capable of running much faster than we are. Read along as we learn more about some of the fastest bird species in the world.īirds are not only capable of great speed in flight.

Nevertheless, the records we have (whether anecdotal or scientifically confirmed) are hugely interesting and valuable insights into the avian world. Apart from the challenges of setting up a study with the right instruments, you still need willing participants and ideal conditions. It’s not easy to measure the maximum speeds of birds, so there is so much still to learn about their flying ability. They achieve this speed by diving or stooping from above, using a combination of powerful flight muscles, perfectly streamlined form, and good old gravity. These raptors feed on other birds like pigeons and shorebirds that they capture in flight at amazing speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. The fastest bird in the world is the migratory peregrine falcon. So let's get into it, what is the fastest bird in the world? The natural speed and agility of your average songbird is remarkable enough, but some birds take the power of flight to another level.īirds are the undisputed fastest animals on the planet, and they use their speed variously for catching their prey, traveling long distances, and evading their predators. What is the fastest bird at level flight?įlight has always fascinated us.

Peregrine falcon speed