Top 5 Fastest Birds in the World： Fastest Animals on Earth - FreeSchool Creature Countdown

Today we're learning about the top 5 fastest birds in the world. This is a countdown of the fastest birds in the world, but in fact, these 5 birds represent the fastest animals of any kind in the entire world. Number 5. The Eurasian Hobbie. A small falcon that resides in Africa, Europe, and Central and East Asia, the Eurasian Hobbie is a bird of prey. It flies powerfully and fast. Its speed allows it to catch and even sometimes eat its dinner mid-air. Dragonflies, small bats, swallows, and even swifts. The Eurasian Hobbie may reach flight speeds of up to 100 miles or 161 kilometers per hour. Number 4. The Swift. Swifts look a bit like swallows, but they are actually more closely related to hummingbirds. Swifts spend almost their whole lives in flight. They spend so much time in the air that hundreds of years ago people believed that they had no feet since they were never seen to land. Of course, they do have feet, but their legs are small and weak, and they never land on the ground if they can help it. Swifts have been reported flying at speeds of 106 miles or 171 kilometers per hour. Number 3. The Gyrfalcon. The Gyrfalcon is the largest of the falcon species, living mainly in the Arctic and the bordering areas of North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. It feeds on birds and mammals like lemmings, ground squirrels, and hares. Gyrfalcons are valued by falconers, who use them in hunting. Although it rarely hunts by diving, the Gyrfalcon achieves high speeds in its dives, as much as 130 miles or 209 kilometers per hour. Number 2. The Golden Eagle. One of the largest and most widespread eagles in the Northern Hemisphere, the Golden Eagle is considered one of the best flyers in the entire eagle family. Like the Gyrfalcon, the Golden Eagle is valued by falconers, but it can take much larger prey. It is such a large, skilled hunter that it can even kill wolves. In a full stoop, a Golden Eagle can reach speeds of 200 miles or 320 kilometers per hour, making it the second fastest living thing on Earth. Number 1. The Peregrine Falcon. The fastest animal on the planet, the Peregrine Falcon is found on every continent except Antarctica. It is about the same size as a crow, and it hunts birds almost exclusively, although it will sometimes take small mammals or reptiles. Peregrines have been used by humans in falconry to hunt game for at least 3,000 years. In a full stoop, when it flies to a great height and then pulls its wings close and dives, the Peregrine Falcon may reach speeds of 242 miles or 389 kilometers per hour, faster than any other living thing on Earth. I hope you enjoyed learning about the fastest birds on Earth, and stay tuned for more creature countdowns from FreeSchool!