My Science School

            The fastest known bird in level flight is the white throated spine tailed swift. It has been recorded as flying at speeds of over 170 kmph.

            Common eiders, or coastal ducks, can fly nearly 75 kmph. Dunlins (shorebirds) once caught up with, and passed a plane flying at 160 kmph! Swifts, as their name indicates, are among the fastest of all flying birds.

            Peregrine falcons can chase their prey in level flight at 60 kmph, but when stooping or diving to catch it, they reach much higher speeds.

            Other high-speed birds include buzzards, which can glide between 110 and 130 kilometres per hour. Swallows are believed to be able to reach 160 kilometres per hour when migrating, but normally, they do not fly faster than about 50 kilometres per hour.