# What is the fastest bird?

> In level flight, the common swift (Apus apus) holds the record at roughly 111 km/h (69 mph). In a hunting stoop (dive), the peregrine falcon exceeds 320 km/h (200 mph) — the fastest verified animal movement. Bird speed depends on measurement: level flapping flight, gliding or gravity-assisted dive.

**Category:** Wildlife  ·  **Updated:** 2026-07-05

## Key takeaways
- Level flight record: common swift ~111 km/h.
- Fastest dive: peregrine falcon 320+ km/h.
- Specify measurement type when comparing speed.
- Swifts live highly aerial lives.
- Peregrines recovered after DDT ban in many cities.
- Glass and turbines kill millions of birds yearly.

## Answer
Speed depends on how you measure: sustained flapping flight, gliding, or gravity-assisted diving. Swifts spend months airborne, feeding on insects and even sleeping on the wing.

Peregrine falcons strike prey in a steep dive, tucking wings to minimise drag. The impact often kills the target instantly. Urban peregrines nesting on skyscrapers have helped the species recover in parts of Europe and North America after pesticide crashes.

Wind-turbine placement and glass collisions kill millions of birds annually — a conservation issue separate from the speed records themselves.

## Level flight champions
Common swifts feed, mate and sleep on the wing — landing mainly to nest. Streamlined body and long wings suit sustained high-speed flight chasing insect swarms. Alpine swift and white-throated needletail also rank among fastest level fliers. Records come from tracking and radar — not easy to measure in field. Speed serves catching aerial prey and migrating long distances — swifts winter in Africa, breed in Europe, crossing Sahara without stopping style of other species.

## Peregrine stoop
Peregrine falcons strike prey in steep dive — wings partially folded reducing drag. Impact often kills prey instantly. Adaptations include bony nasal tubercles slowing airflow to lungs and nictitating membrane protecting eyes. Urban peregrines nest on skyscrapers preying on pigeons — recovery story after DDT pesticide crash mid-twentieth century. Falconers knew speed centuries before radar confirmation — biology now documents physics of stoop exceeding 320 km/h in trained birds with loggers.

## Other speed contexts
Golden eagles and gyrfalcons also dive fast but peregrine holds verified maximum. Ostriches run fastest on land among birds — over 70 km/h — different category from flight. Hummingbirds beat wings fastest — metabolic power, not horizontal speed. Comparing records requires specifying measurement type — AI Overviews often conflate categories; WARN separates level flight and stoop for accuracy.

## Conservation beyond records
Fast birds still die on glass facades and wind turbines — peregrines less affected than migratory songbirds but not immune. Swift nest site loss in eaves of renovated buildings reduces breeding habitat. Speed evolution irrelevant if migration stopover wetlands drained — see bird migration answer. RSPB and American Bird Conservancy document collision mitigation — patterned glass, turbine curtailment during peak migration.

## FAQ
### What is the fastest bird?
Level flight: common swift ~111 km/h. Fastest dive: peregrine falcon 320+ km/h stoop.

### Is the peregrine falcon the fastest animal?
In diving stoop, yes — over 320 km/h, fastest verified animal movement.

### What is the fastest bird in level flight?
Common swift — roughly 111 km/h sustained flapping flight.

### How fast can an ostrich run?
Over 70 km/h — fastest running bird, but not flying speed.

### Are peregrine falcons endangered?
Recovered in many regions after DDT ban — Least Concern globally but local threats remain.

### What kills fast birds today?
Habitat loss, glass collisions, wind turbines, pesticides — modern mortality sources.

## Sources
- [RSPB — bird speed facts](https://www.rspb.org.uk)

Human-readable page: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/answers/what-is-the-fastest-bird