Have you ever seen a bird of prey fold its wings and dive toward the ground at an astonishing speed? How about a seabird effortlessly soaring on harsh winds above a crashing ocean? If you have, you know how truly impressive these birds are. If you’ve ever wondered how fast these birds actually fly, you’re in the right place.
In this guide, you’ll meet the 15 fastest birds in the world, ranging from small falcons to dainty swifts to large birds of prey. There’s even some surprisingly bulky waterfowl you might not expect on this list. Let’s dive into it.
The 15 Fastest Birds in the World
1. Peregrine Falcon: Ranked #1 of the Fastest Birds in the World
Top Dive Speed: 389 km/h (240 mph)
Average Horizontal Flight Speed: 40-55 km/h (25-34 mph)
At the top of the list of the fastest birds in the world sits none other than the impressive Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). It is one of the most widespread birds of prey in the world—found across all continents except Antarctica.
The Peregrine Falcon is built for speed. While hunting, it will soar high into the sky and then plummet at astonishing speeds to strike its prey in the air.
2. Saker Falcon: Fastest Birds in Horizontal Flight
Top Dive Speed: 320 km/h (200 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 150 km/h (90 mph)
Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) could compete with the Peregrine Falcon as the fastest bird in the world. If only their horizontal flight speed were compared, then this desert falcon would take first place.
These incredibly fast fliers are agile hunters of the desert and forest regions from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Saker Falcons are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and illegal poaching.
3. Golden Eagle: Elegant and Fierce Diver
Top Dive Speed: 322 km/h (200 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 129 km/h (80 mph)
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the largest birds of prey in the world and the second largest in the United States. Despite its impressive size, it is one of the fastest birds in the world, with a breakneck dive speed.
Golden Eagles are widespread, found in the wild, open land of North America, Europe, and Asia. While hunting, these large eagles will soar high in search of prey. Once spotted, they use their impressive dive speed to capture prey on the ground.
4. Gyrfalcon: Fastest Falcon of the Arctic Tundra
Top Dive Speed: 187-209 km/h (116-130 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 145 km/h (90 mph)
The Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is not only one of the fastest birds worldwide, but also the largest falcon in the world. These beautiful and agile hunters reside in the remote Arctic regions of Northern Canada and Alaska.
Because their prey is typically large birds such as ptarmigans and waterfowl, Gyrfalcons use their remarkable diving speed to stun and kill them on impact.
5. Red-tailed Hawk: Effortless Glider and Lethal Diver
Top Dive Speed: 193 km/h (120 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 32-64 km/h (20-40 mph)
Because Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) are often seen soaring slowly in the open sky, they may not be the first bird you think of when considering the fastest birds in the world. And yet, they can be incredibly fast divers when needed.
As one of the most common birds of prey across North America, Red-tailed Hawks are easy to spot. If you’re lucky, you might see one diving through the sky at an impressive speed to catch a rodent or squirrel on the ground.
6. White-throated Needletail: Fastest Birds in Long-distance Flight
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 169 km/h (105 mph)
The White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) has an incredible horizontal speed that shows just how fast these large swifts are. This makes them one of the fastest birds in the world. In fact, they are the fastest birds in sustained flight as they migrate long distances each year between northern Asia and Australia.
7. Common Swift: Master of the Air
Top Dive Speed: 166 km/h (103 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 111 km/h (69 mph)
Found from western Europe down to Northern Africa and over to Eastern Asia, the Common Swift (Apus apus) is a truly remarkable flier. As one of the fastest birds in the world, it spends the majority of its life in the air.
Their agile swoops and quick dives allow them to catch a multitude of airborne insects. Besides hunting, Common Swifts also sleep and even mate while flying.
8. Bald Eagle: America’s Treasure
Top Dive Speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)
When a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) spots a fish in the water, it needs to dive quickly to catch its prey successfully. As such, Bald Eagles can dive at exceptional speeds despite their large size.
The beautiful and iconic Bald Eagle is found across North America, where it has been revered as a spiritual symbol by the Indigenous people for thousands of years.
9. Eurasian Hobby: Small Falcon with Deadly, Airborne Precision
Top Dive Speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) is a small falcon with extraordinary flying skills. This swift and agile hunter seizes its prey mid-flight while high in the air. Its preferred prey is dragonflies, but it also hunts other flying insects, small birds, and even bats.
This long-winged falcon breeds across Europe and much of Asia and winters in Central and Southern Africa.
10. Magnificent Frigatebird: A Bird True to Its Name
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 153 km/h (95 mph)
The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is a master of the ocean winds. It can soar at impressive speeds for days on end over the water. It rarely lands and will even steal food from other seabirds mid-air.
Along with their impressive soaring abilities, the male Magnificent Frigatebird is also known for its striking red throat pouch. These fascinating seabirds are found along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Mexico, extending down to South America.
11. Spur-winged Goose: One of the Strongest, Fastest Birds in the World
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 143 km/h (89 mph)
The Spur-winged Goose (Plectropterus gambensis) is Africa’s largest waterfowl. Despite its size, this formidable goose can reach outstanding speeds in flight. This is due to its strength and long, powerful wings, which propel it through the air as it migrates across Africa.
12.Red-breasted Merganser: One of the Fastest Ducks in North America
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 130 km/h (81 mph)
Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator) can reach extraordinary speeds during their migratory flight across North America. As one of the fastest birds in the world, these medium-sized ducks with narrow wings fly high in the air in a structured V-formation or line.
As diving birds, they swoop under the water to catch small fish and other prey. They breed near large inland lakes and wetlands in northern Canada and winter along the coast and Great Lakes of North America.
13. Canvasback: A Bird of the Water
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 128 km/h (80 mph)
Along with the Red-breasted Merganser, the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is one of North America’s fastest waterfowl. Once airborne, it can reach stunning speeds while migrating from Mexico and the southern United States to Canada and Alaska.
Canvasbacks spend most of their lives on water. They sleep with their bill tucked beneath their wings and even nest on mats of floating vegetation.
14. Grey-headed Albatross: Master of the Wind
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 127 km/h (79 mph)
The Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) is one of the fastest birds in the world due to its ability to soar long distances on ocean winds. These large seabirds are found in the southern Antarctic and Subantarctic oceans, where they breed on islands such as South Georgia and the Diego Ramirez Islands.
Grey-headed Albatrosses are considered “Endangered” due to increased mortality rates from longline fisheries.
15.Common Eider: One of the Fastest Birds of The Ocean Winds
Top Dive Speed: N/A
Top Horizontal Flight Speed: 123 km/h (76 mph)
As one of the largest ducks in the northern hemisphere, the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) isn’t typically thought of as one of the fastest birds in the world. And it’s true that their speed doesn’t play a major role in their everyday life, which involves foraging offshore in large flocks.
However, when they migrate to their winter range or shift feeding areas, they can soar at great speeds on ocean winds. Their large wings are adapted to navigate the harsh sea breeze, allowing them to travel quickly over the water.
The Fastest Birds in the World
From the unbelievably fast dive of the Peregrine Falcon to the impressive strength of the Spur-winged Goose, the fastest birds of the world showcase their incredible diversity of flight. These birds have adapted to utilize height and winds to their advantage, enabling them to soar long distances and spot prey from miles away.
Have you ever seen one of these birds in flight? If so, feel free to share about your sighting or bird-watching experiences in the comments below!