This is a list of the fastest flying birds in the world. A bird's velocity is necessarily variable; a hunting bird will reach much greater speeds while diving to catch prey than when flying horizontally. The bird that can achieve the greatest airspeed is the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), able to exceed in its dives.[1] [2] A close relative of the common swift, the white-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus), is commonly reported as the fastest bird in level flight with a reported top speed of . This record remains unconfirmed as the measurement methods have never been published or verified. The record for the fastest confirmed level flight by a bird is held by the common swift.
| Common name | Image | Species | Family | data-sort-type="number" | Average horizontal speed | data-sort-type="number" | Maximum horizontal speed | Maximum airspeed | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | Falconidae | [3] | | [4] | High-speed dive—pointed long wings | |||
| Saker falcon | Falco cherrug | Falconidae | [5] | [6] | High-speed dive—pointed long wings | ||||
| Golden eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | Accipitridae | [7] | ||||||
| Grey-headed albatross | Thalassarche Chrysostoma | Diomedeidae | [8] [9] [10] | wingspan allows for high power use from wind. | |||||
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | Falconidae | [11] | [12] | High-speed dive—pointed long wings | ||||
| White-throated needletail | Hirundapus caudacutus | Apodidae | [13] [14] | High-speed wings | |||||
| Common swift | Apus apus | Apodidae [15] | High-speed wings | ||||||
| Eurasian hobby | Falco subbuteo | Falconidae[16] | Can sometimes outfly the swift as it eats them and catches them on the wing. | ||||||
| Frigatebird | Fregata | Fregatidae[17] | Slow gliding/soaring high aspect ratio | ||||||
| Spur-winged goose | Plectropterus | Anatidae[18] | High-speed wings | ||||||
| Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | Anatidae[19] | High–aspect ratio wings | ||||||
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | Anatidae[20] | High-speed wings | ||||||
| Common eider | Somateria mollissima | Anatidae[21] | High-speed wings | ||||||
| Eurasian teal | Anas crecca | Anatidae | High–aspect ratio wings | ||||||
| Anna's hummingbird | Calypte anna | Trochilidae | [22] | Rapidly-beating wings |