The fastest birds in the film are the speed of the peregrine falcon. The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey. Photos, videos, hunting. Peregrine falcon - noble bird

The peregrine falcon is a fairly large bird of the falcon family. This fast-moving predator lives throughout our Earth, except Antarctica. Prefers to settle on rocky coasts, in mountainous areas. He chooses remote places and avoids meeting people. Its territory also includes the presence of the water space it needs. The bird mainly leads sedentary image life. Migratory migrations are carried out by peregrine falcons living in arctic and subarctic climates; they head for warm continents.

He has a strong body with a convex chest and a small head. Short strong beak, its upper part is curved down. Large keen eyes, protected by brow ridges. The tail is short and rounded, strong legs, with tenacious toes, on which there are sharp and curved claws. Saps length40 – 50 cm, weighs from 700g to 1,400 grams. Females are larger than males in size and weight.

There is no significant difference in color between them. Back, wings and tail gray with dark spots, chest and stomach light color(yellowish, pinkish) with small specks. On the belly, the speckles are more pronounced, they are larger and form black stripes. Legs bright yellow color. The plumage is dense and hard. Its wings are long and sharp, their span is 90 - 110 cm. This is an excellent hunter who catches victims mainly in the air, on the fly.

It can see a potential victim from a height of 300 meters, and notice it at a distance of 5 km. During the chase, he develops amazing speed, up to 350 km/h. Noticing the prey and then catching up with it, it grabs it by the neck and crushes the victim’s vertebrae with its strong beak. With small prey it flies into the nest, and with large prey it falls to the ground and eats.

He can eat 100g of food per day, which is enough for him. The main food is birds. During the nesting period and when there is a lack of food -, the bats, . They are active in the morning and evening. These are mostly silent birds that sing in mating season. They shout, signaling to others about the presence of a person, or some other threat.

During the mating season of courtship, the male invites the female, he sings his love song to her, and waits. If a female flies up to him, then the pair has formed for the rest of their lives. They do not build nests; they either occupy other people’s nests or settle on rocky ledges.

The female lays 2 – 4 red-brown speckled eggs. This happens an important event in March – May, depends on the location of the bird and climatic conditions. Parents take turns incubating for 35 days. Fluffy chicks with gray down are born, clumsy and helpless. For the first few days, the mother is inseparably with the children, warming them with her warmth. The father provides food for the whole family. The chick will fly at the age of 45 days, but still for a long time will be under the care and protection of his parents. Brood once a year.

IN wildlife Peregrine falcons live up to 20 years.

Despite such widespread

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordata

Class: Birds

Squad: Falconiformes

Family: Falcons

Genus: Falcons

View: Peregrine Falcon

Description

In the falcon family, the peregrine falcon shares the first place in popularity with the gyrfalcon. The size of the bird is similar to a crow. The body length of males is about 50 cm, but females are slightly larger - about 70 cm. The weight of an adult male can reach 1 kg, and an adult female - 1.5 kg. The wingspan in flight of an adult is from 80 to 120 cm. The body of the bird is well developed. Even under the cover of feathers, muscles and a broad chest are visible.

The short tail and wide wings allow the falcon to dive and overtake its prey. Ornithologists believe that nature has created the peregrine falcon as an “ideal killing machine”: its sharp beak and long, strong legs with clawed fingers simply rip apart the victim’s body in flight. The color of the bird is also interesting. Juveniles are brown in color, and the lower part is light gray. But with age, the color intensifies and turns into slate gray with black shades. The breast may turn pinkish, yellow or grey-white. The color depends on the habitat. In addition, dark inclusions seem to be scattered throughout the plumage.

Distribution of the species

The peregrine falcon can rightfully be called a cosmopolitan species, since, despite its rarity, it was distributed throughout the world, excluding only Antarctica. The wide distribution of the species is due to the lack of special requirements for the habitat, the main thing is that there is a place for a nest, open air space and food (other small birds). Now the species' range is declining; the massive use of DDT in the 20th century caused particular damage to the world population of this predator. The peregrine falcon is a protected bird everywhere and is listed in the Red Books of many countries.

The natural habitats of the peregrine falcon are mountain landscapes. At the beginning of the 20th century, ornithologists began recording nesting pairs of peregrine falcons in major cities, where birds breed their offspring in various niches, or on the roofs of high-rise buildings. Now an increase in the number of “urban” peregrine falcons has been recorded in many cities Western Europe and America. In Moscow, the only pair of peregrine falcons currently nests on the building of Moscow State University.

Subspecies

Falco peregrinus peregrinus (Tunstall, 1771)

The male's head and front part of the back are dark gray, often the head is blackish. The back of the back is lighter. The forehead is slightly lighter than the crown. The mustache is not wide. On the cheeks and behind the eyes, black coloring is significantly developed. The underside of the body is whitish, with a very faint yellowish or pinkish tint, turning into a bluish coating on the sides of the body. The pattern on the underside of the body consists of small drop-shaped or round spots on the chest and larger spots on the stomach, sometimes transformed into a transverse pattern on the stomach. On the crop and upper chest, the pattern is reduced to one degree or another. The transverse stripes on the sides of the body are infrequent, wide and dark, blackish. The female is slightly darker than the male. The upper side of the body is more blackish, the lower side has a more developed reddish tint. The pattern on the underside of the body is larger and rougher; it is almost always occupied by top part breasts The wing length of males is 289-328 (304), females - 348-368 (354) mm.

Nests were found in the Southern Altai near Lake Markakol in 1958 and in the Naurzum Forest in 1936 (but later did not nest here), as well as in Monrak in 1975 and in Kalba near the village of Skalistoye in 1978. A flying young bird, independent of its parents, was observed on July 21, 2001 in the Bukhtarma valley near the village of Berel. Occasionally nests in the Trans-Ili Alatau, where a brood was observed on July 5, 2001 near Gorelnik. The distribution of this form during the migration period has not been studied.

Falco peregrinus calidus (Latham, 1790)

On average lighter than peregrinus. In males, the head and front of the back are ash-gray, slightly darker than the back of the back and shoulders, which have a bluish tint. The forehead is whitish, lighter than that of peregrinus. The “whiskers” are even narrower. On the cheeks and behind the eyes, black coloring is much less common; white and grayish-white colors dominate here. The underside of the body is white with a very faint and not always present yellowish-pink tint. The sides of the body are devoid of a bluish coating or it is very poorly developed here. The transverse stripes on the sides of the body are sparse, narrow and lighter in color. The female is lighter, grayish above, white below with a faint yellowish-pink tint. The pattern on the underside of the body is less developed than that of peregrinus; the crop and upper part of the chest are devoid of spots, but may have dark streaks on the trunk. The wing length of males is 315-325 (319), females – 350-370 (362) mm. It is found almost everywhere in Kazakhstan during the migration period.

Falco peregrinus brookei (Sharpe, 1873)

The color is rich and bright, with significant development reddish tones in the form of streaks on the back of the head and on the underside of the body. Adult birds are dark, with a blackish head with a narrow light bluish transverse pattern on the back and wings; on the back of the head and back of the neck there are reddish streaks; sometimes in fresh feathers there are reddish edges of the small feathers of the back and wings, the chest is reddish, the sides are grayish, dark stripes they are densely located. In the first annual plumage - dark and bright, usually with strongly developed rufous edges of feathers, often with bluish or rufous transverse spots on the shoulders, greater wing coverts, tail feathers, often with a bluish tint to the plumage; the underside in fresh feathers is also very reddish with a wide brown pattern(on the sides it often takes on a transverse character, especially in males). It is inferior in size to the falcons of the northern group: the wing length of males is 288-312, females 320-355, on average 294.9 and 335.9 mm.

The settled settler lives in the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, North-West Africa, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and south coast Crimea. In Kazakhstan, it was found for the only time in the Caspian Sea on July 2, 2016.

Nutrition

These falcons mainly feed on birds average size, including songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and doves. According to rough estimates, almost one fifth of the total bird population falls prey to the peregrine falcon.

These feathered predators hunt hummingbirds in North America, and sandhill cranes may also be their prey. Peregrine falcons often prey on wild pigeon, woodpeckers, crows, blackbirds, black pigeons, American crows, common starlings, black swifts and magpies. They also don't refuse to be caught. small mammals such as mice, voles, rats, shrews, squirrels and hares. These falcons usually hunt at dusk and dawn.

Reproduction

These birds reach maturity on their first birthday. However, under favorable conditions, they usually reproduce at the age of 2–3 years.

Peregrine Falcons are monogamous predators and return to the same location every year. Bird hunters tend to become much more territorial during the breeding season. They make nests at least 1 kilometer apart in regions with big amount steam. They usually build nests on steep cliffs or shallow depressions where there is not even minimal vegetation.

The peregrine falcon creates a pair for life; they choose their nesting place in hard-to-reach places, such as:

• Rock cornices;
• Tall trees;
• Roofs of houses or churches;

Also, they are very attached to the same nesting place; every year one and the same pair tries to occupy exactly the same habitat that they occupied the year before. There is enough space in the habitat to accommodate chicks and two adults, and it is also reliably protected from enemies and predators.

The breeding season begins in May and continues until June; in the northern regions it begins later. The male first flies to the place of residence. Seducing the female, he invents various pirouettes in the air, acrobatic actions in the form of a spiral or clearly goes into a dive, etc.

If the female is pleased with her chosen one, she sits down next to him at a short distance, which means that a couple has formed. Sitting next to each other, they mutually preen each other's feathers and gnaw on their claws. During courtship in the air, the male often fertilizes his chosen one with caught prey. To accept the gift, the female turns over with her back down while flying, and the male at this moment hands her the caught trophy.

These birds do not settle next to other pairs; the distance between neighbors must be at least 1200 meters, but the maximum distance between them can reach up to 2.6 km. This is due to the fact that this distance is enough to feed oneself without disturbing territorial integrity their relatives.

This occupied area can contain up to 10 places where a pair can lay eggs, each new season they may occupy one of the mentioned places. If the birds notice people, they begin to show concern already at a distance of 350 - 500 meters from the home, which is accompanied by loud and shrill sounds typical of falcon species. First, the male circles above the people, later the female joins him, so as not to lose sight of them, from time to time they sit down next to them.

The location of the dwelling directly depends on the landscape, but in one case or another, the approach to it must be accessible and convenient. There must be a pond or river near the nesting site. If it is a rocky area, then look for crevices or a place on a slope ledge where a dwelling can be located at an altitude of at least 30 to 85 meters.

The floor in their home is not specially covered, but with repeated use it contains old feathers and bones of past victims. One of the features of this bird is a huge accumulation of bone debris around the perimeter of the nest, which accumulates over the course of for long years, as well as litter left by the younger generation.

The female lays eggs once a year, within forty-eight hours one egg appears; if for some reason she is destroyed, she will lay eggs a second time. Most often the clutch contains 2 or 3, less often from 2 to 5 eggs of a rusty-red color and with brown specks.

It has dimensions 52-53X42-44 mm. For 35 days, the female and the male will incubate them, but more often the female incubates them, since the male forages at this time.

Afterwards the chicks begin to hatch; at first they are helpless. For the first days of their life, their body is covered with dirty light down, the limbs are disproportionate and very developed. The mother of the chicks carefully warms them and feeds them. The head of the family spends most of his time hunting, because the need for food increases more and more every day. It is capable of flying from 22 to 45 kilometers in search of prey.

After 45 days, the chicks will make their first flight from family nest, however, they will remain with their parents for some time, since at this age they are too young and do not have hunting skills, unlike their parents.

Peregrine falcon hunting

The peregrine falcon cannot always catch up with a fast bird such as a wild pigeon or black swift. Their horizontal flight speed is approximately the same, and the pigeon is much more resilient than the peregrine falcon and can fly at top speed for a longer time. In this regard, thanks to evolution, the peregrine falcon has developed interesting way hunting. Having noticed the victim, it immediately takes a position higher than it and, folding its wings, rapidly flies (falls) down almost vertically.

Speed vertical flight The speed of the peregrine falcon is 322 km/h, and in 2005, researchers determined a new record - 389 km/h. This is the most high speed, which is recorded in the animal world. Consequently, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal living on planet Earth.

During a free fall, the peregrine falcon's eyes are protected by a special nictitating membrane called the “third eyelid.” In addition, the bird does not suffocate due to air pressure thanks to special tubercles on the beak that prevent direct penetration of air into the nostrils.

Attacking the prey at such speed, the peregrine falcon hits it in flight with its talons. Moreover, the blow is so strong that not only the prey’s feathers fly off, but its head can easily fly off. This allows the peregrine falcon to hunt even large wild geese.

Now let's imagine that a peregrine falcon will attack prey sitting on the ground from above at crazy speed. Such a maneuver is dangerous for the life of the predator itself. Young peregrine falcons often have the sin of striking the bird too low above the ground, missing and crashing. While trying to grab a duck above the water, the peregrine falcon can also miss and dive deep into the water. Only now he won’t be able to surface.

Peregrine falcon and man current status

On the territory of the Russian Federation

The number of peregrine falcons remains unstable and, according to ornithologists, does not exceed 2-3 thousand pairs. Starting from the first half of the 20th century, the peregrine falcon disappeared from many of its former habitats or survived in very small numbers. Due to its small numbers, it is protected by the Red Book of Russia, where the peregrine falcon is assigned the second category. In 1990, a nursery for breeding this bird was created in the Galichya Gora Nature Reserve. Internationally, the peregrine falcon is included in Appendix 1 of the CITES Convention (trade ban), Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention, and is also protected by a number of bilateral agreements.

In the USA

They continue to settle in large cities, making nests on cathedrals, skyscrapers, supports of suspension bridges. In Virginia, as part of a special program, students succeeded in getting birds to roost in artificial nests (67 pairs in 2008).

In Canada and Germany

Programs have also been developed for raising young animals in enclosures with subsequent introduction into wild conditions. During the period of detention, in order to avoid habituation, the contact of the chicks with humans is largely limited - for example, artificial feeding occurs from gloves in the form of the head of an adult peregrine falcon. Like the American ones, the birds are gradually moving into cities.

In the UK

IN this moment The population is recovering after the collapse in the 1960s. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds made a significant contribution to this.

• Peregrine falcons live mainly in open spaces, in the air, so they do not like to settle in dense forests.
• They are monogamous, so couples live together for many years.
• They often like to nest in river valleys, not far from the forest.
• This bird can even be found in the city, if the terrain and habitat conditions allow it to settle there.
• The nesting site of peregrine falcons very often includes several places at once that are suitable for female peregrine falcons to lay eggs.
• Birds never use egg mats. The nest is most often placed at the top of rocks, on tall trees, on high-rise buildings (if the bird has settled in the city).
• The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world. In a diving flight, it reaches a speed of about 322 km/h, or 90 m/s.
• In 1530, Emperor Charles V gave the island of Malta to the Knights Hospitaller (Order of Malta), and obliged the knights to send him one peregrine falcon every year. This story is described in the novel by English writer Dashiell Hammett “The Maltese Falcon” (1930). And in the USA in 1941 a film was made based on this book. One of the subspecies of peregrine falcons is called “Maltese”.
• Peregrine falcons have always been considered rare bird. Due to the use of DDT and other pesticides, the population began to decline, but has slowly recovered since the 1970s. The peregrine falcon is included in the Red Book of Russia, and trade in these birds is prohibited throughout the world.
• These birds become very attached to their habitable nesting area. Thus, ornithologists have noticed that, since 1243, in Great Britain birds regularly nest on the same rocky ledge.

Video

Sources

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine https://o-prirode.ru/sapsan/ https://wild-animals.ru/article/birds/ptica-sapsan.html#h2_4 http:// zoofayna.ru/sokol-sapsan/ http://www.birds.kz/v2taxon.php?l=ru&s=131 http://livebla.com/interesnye-fakty-o-sokole-sapsane/

Peregrine falcon Report on the topic of birds The world 3rd grade

The peregrine falcon is a widespread bird of prey. It lives everywhere, except Antarctica. In the north (in the Arctic and Subarctic) its numbers are large. And in Europe she is for last years decreased sharply. In most European countries, the peregrine falcon is protected by the state as a rare species.

The peregrine falcon is one of the typical falcons. It is also called a real falcon. This is a large bird. Its size is up to 50 cm, weight is approximately 1 kg, its wingspan is about 1 meter.

Female peregrine falcons are much larger than males. The back of these birds is grayish-brown, the belly is whitish or yellowish with transverse stripes. Under the eyes of the peregrine falcon there are dark spots that turn into stripes (the so-called falcon's whiskers). Male peregrine falcons are more brightly colored than females. The peregrine falcon has a sharp, hooked beak and powerful paws with sharp claws.

These birds also have a special wedge-shaped wings, which helps them develop very high speeds when flying. The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world. Maximum speed its flight speed is 322 km/h or 90 meters/sec.

The peregrine falcon feeds only on birds. An adult falcon needs one medium-sized bird per day, but it can eat more and then starve for several days. Usually this falcon hunts medium-sized birds: crows, ducks, pigeons, but while feeding chicks, it can catch smaller ones for them, including such fast and agile ones as swallows and swifts. Falcons bred specifically for falconry can also hunt large birds: herons, geese.

The peregrine falcon grabs its prey in flight with its paws and kills it. The falcon never hunts birds sitting on the ground or on the water, because it can break by hitting the ground on high speed. Therefore, some birds, when they see a falcon, do not fly up or sit on the ground.

For hunting he needs big ones open spaces and a place from which he will survey the surroundings. Therefore, it nests on rocks or on the outskirts of forests alternating with plains.

Peregrine falcons that live in the tropics - resident, peregrine falcons temperate latitudes- are nomadic, and peregrine falcons, which nest in the north, are migratory birds.

Offspring

Typically, peregrine falcons do not build their own nests, but use ready-made nests of other birds of a suitable size; in extreme cases, they arrange primitive bedding for themselves on the ground or on a rock. Peregrine falcons are very attached to their nests and return to them every year.

A peregrine falcon has 2-4 eggs in a clutch, and both parents incubate and feed the chicks, but mostly the female. First, falcons feed the chicks with semi-digested food, regurgitating it, then they bring the prey to the nest and pinch off pieces for them with their beaks. They bring prey to the nest plucked of feathers, having previously plucked it on a stump.

At the age of 40 days, falcon chicks can already fly, but until autumn they hunt together with their parents. In the fall, parents drive their children away from the hunting area.

Pairs of peregrine falcons live together for many years. But if one bird of a pair dies, the second quickly finds a replacement.

The falcon is considered the best hunting bird and is used for falconry. Hunters love it for its speed of flight. The peregrine falcon rushes after prey, being 1000 meters away from it, while the fastest hawk attacks only from a distance of 100-150 meters.

Scientists consider it the most intelligent and inventive among game birds. Falcons can hunt in pairs big catch, attacking it one by one until it is shot down.

This is so unusual and amazing bird- peregrine falcon.

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a bird of prey from the order Falconidae. The body length of the peregrine falcon is 40-50 cm, weight is from 0.6 to 1.4 kg, and the wingspan is up to 120 cm. The wings are narrow, bent in a sickle shape. Females are noticeably larger than males (by approximately 1/3). The color of the plumage on the upper part of the body is dark gray with stripes, the lower part is light and motley. The beak has teeth, characteristic of all falcons.

Peregrine falcon habitats

This species lives in all corners globe with the exception of Antarctica. The peregrine falcon is unpretentious to conditions external environment, however avoids excessively cold and very hot, humid tropical climate. Wide steppes are also not suitable for it. In Ukraine, it can occasionally be found only in the mountains of Crimea and the Carpathians.

There are migratory, nomadic and sedentary subspecies of peregrine falcon. Only those populations that live in the cold Arctic climate migrate. Moreover, it was noticed that the peregrine falcon travels a colossal distance. In particular, individuals that nest in Greenland migrate to the southern regions for the winter South America. Peregrine falcon (peregrinus) translated from Latin means “wandering” and apparently it got its name for a reason.

Peregrine falcon - noble bird

During the First World War, there was a rule in aviation. A surviving pilot shot down by an enemy aircraft has never been shot from the air. Of course, not all pilots, but many adhered to this code of honor. I don’t know what this was connected with, but in the animal world there is a similar example of nobility.

The peregrine falcon never catches prey on the ground. Flying past a flock of sitting birds, it will first scare them away, giving them the opportunity to hide, and only after that it will attack. But does the peregrine falcon really catch prey on the fly for the sake of its nobility? But many people think so. Let's try to figure it out together using scientific facts.

Peregrine falcon hunting

The peregrine falcon cannot always catch up with a fast bird such as a wild pigeon or black swift. Their horizontal flight speed is approximately the same, and the pigeon is much more resilient than the peregrine falcon and can fly at top speed for a longer time. In this regard, thanks to evolution, the peregrine falcon has developed an interesting way of hunting. Having noticed the victim, it immediately takes a position higher than it and, folding its wings, rapidly flies (falls) down almost vertically.

The vertical flight speed of the peregrine falcon is 322 km/h, and in 2005, researchers set a new record of 389 km/h. This is the fastest speed recorded in the animal kingdom. Consequently, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal living on planet Earth.

Below you can watch a video of a peregrine falcon flying. His flight (fall) from an airplane and catching bait on the fly looks especially impressive.

During a free fall, the peregrine falcon's eyes are protected by a special nictitating membrane called the “third eyelid.” In addition, the bird does not suffocate due to air pressure thanks to special tubercles on the beak that prevent direct penetration of air into the nostrils.

Attacking the prey at such speed, the peregrine falcon hits it in flight with its talons. Moreover, the blow is so strong that not only the prey’s feathers fly off, but its head can easily fly off. This allows the peregrine falcon to hunt even large wild geese.

Now let's imagine that a peregrine falcon will attack prey sitting on the ground from above at crazy speed. Such a maneuver is dangerous for the life of the predator itself. Young peregrine falcons often have the sin of striking the bird too low above the ground, missing and crashing. While trying to grab a duck above the water, the peregrine falcon can also miss and dive deep into the water. Only now he won’t be able to surface.

Thus, we have dispelled another myth and proved that the nobility of the peregrine falcon in the hunt is not indulgence, but a forced necessity.

Of course, the peregrine falcon sometimes contains small hares and squirrels, but this is a rare exception. But like the peregrine falcon, the peregrine falcon will never touch carrion.

Peregrine falcon breeding

The peregrine falcon is a monogamous species, meaning it mates once in its entire life. Falcons nest for several years in the same place. Nests are built on steep cliffs or in hollows tall trees depending on your place
a habitat.

Worthy of special admiration mating games male and female peregrine falcon. The male performs various pirouettes in the air in front of the female. Then, when the female accepts courtship, she flies up to the male, and he feeds her from his beak in the air, in flight.

A clutch of 2-4 eggs is incubated primarily by the female, while the male forages for food. The chicks learn to fly after 1.5 months, and in the second month of life they already become independent and leave the nest.

More than half of the young die during the first year. Average duration The lifespan of a peregrine falcon is 14-16 years. Although some individuals live up to 25 years.

Peregrine falcon in the Red Book

The peregrine falcon is considered a rare bird, despite its widespread distribution and good adaptability to different conditions a habitat. For example, in Ukraine, Crimea and the Carpathians, there are about 20 pairs of these birds. Most of all, human activity contributes to such a low number of peregrine falcons. Treatment of fields with pesticides and deforestation have a detrimental effect on the life and health of the falcon.

However, the peregrine falcon suffers even more from poachers. No, they don't kill him, they catch him alive. The fact is that in some countries, such as Türkiye, United Arab Emirates Falconry is popular. Arab sheikhs ready to pay big money to get a peregrine falcon as a hunter. They tame it and then train it to hunt various game. In addition, by showing off a rare bird while hunting, its owner thus emphasizes his status.

Female peregrine falcons caught in the wild are considered especially valuable for such purposes. Firstly, females are larger than males and, accordingly, can catch larger prey. Secondly, the peregrine falcon, which was born and raised in the wild, already has almost all the skills for hunting and its training will not take much time. But individuals raised in a nursery are much weaker than their wild counterparts and often cannot withstand harsh exploitation.

Poachers never miss an opportunity to make money, so the number of peregrine falcons in the wild is decreasing. To prevent complete extinction, the peregrine falcon is taken under legal protection and listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

In conclusion, I suggest watching a video where the peregrine falcon shows spectacular turns while hunting pigeons. He demonstrates incredible strength, speed and even the ability to effectively use the relief of the earth's surface.

Not only creatures living on land try to demonstrate their speed qualities, but also those who are able to rise high into the sky. After all, there, just like on earth, there is a constant struggle for life. And here, as they say, you have to try very hard to emerge victorious from this struggle.

The speed of animals living on land depends entirely on the structure of the skeleton and the strength of the limbs. The speed of birds that soar high in the sky depends slightly on other important factors. Here the speed depends not only on the structure of the skeleton and the strength of the wings, but also on the special ability to use all this. Our conversation will focus on the fastest birds.

1 place. Peregrine falcon

Peregrine falcon (lat. Falco peregrinus) - this bird of prey is the size of an ordinary hoodie, but this does not prevent it from being the fastest among all birds. The falcon hunts in the air: before attacking its prey, the falcon rises high, gaining the required height, and only then falls down “like a stone.” In such a fall, the predator develops a speed of up to 100 m/second, which is equal to 350 km/h.

2nd place. Black swift

Black swift (lat. Apus apus) is the main rival of the peregrine falcon in high-speed flight, as well as one of its victims. However, the falcon greatly loses to the swift in horizontal flight, which allows the second to elude its enemy. Although the black swift is a small bird (its wingspan is 40-46 cm), it can easily reach speeds of up to 150 or even 180 km/h.

These birds live their entire lives in the air, where they spend all 24 hours, and black swifts live for just over three years. These birds even manage to sleep in flight: having risen to a height of 2 to 3 thousand meters, they circle there in a spiral, waking up every 5 seconds to make another flap of their wings.

3rd place. Grey-headed albatross

Grey-headed albatross (lat. Thalassarche chrysostoma) is a seabird that has the most large scale wings - 3.5 m! Naturally, the albatross cannot make such dizzying dives as the peregrine falcon, but it can fly at speeds of up to 130 km/h, which it can maintain for 8 hours.

In addition, he can sleep at an altitude of about 2-3 kilometers, circling almost in one place. Thanks to its unique speed qualities, the grey-headed albatross is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

4th place. Gaga

Eiders (lat. Somateria) – type of large seabirds. An eider in horizontal flight can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. Although it is not as fast as an albatross, it has excellent swimmer qualities: with the help of its wings, the eider can dive to a depth of 20 meters, where it catches fish, crustaceans, various invertebrates and mollusks. Eiders almost never come onto land.

5th place. Pigeon

Pigeons are excellent flyers with incredible memories. Thanks to this quality, carrier pigeons have been used at all times to send correspondence. Especially during the Second World War. The flight speed of a carrier pigeon is 85-100 km/h. They can fly for about 16 hours – without rest! In many countries, monuments have been erected to the carrier pigeon.

6th place. Starling

Starlings (lat. Sturnus vulgaris) is a small bird that not only sings beautifully, but also flies beautifully, reaching flight speeds of up to 70 km/h. The starling can travel hundreds of kilometers during its annual seasonal migration. It should be noted that starlings are capable of high speed fly into the hole of his “home” and at the same time he is not injured at all.

7th place. Field Thrush

Fieldfare (lat. Turdus pilaris) – differs from the rest of its fellows in its way of life. It likes to settle in small copses and park areas - this bird cannot be found in dense forests. The very name of this bird speaks of its extraordinary love for mountain ash. Despite the fact that it is slightly larger than the starling, its speed is lower - about 70 km/h.

8th place. Swallows

Swallows are often confused with swifts, however, swallows have wider wings and a more pronounced “fork” of the tail. In addition, swallows are inferior to swifts in speed. The speed of a coastal swallow or a barn swallow is about 65 km/h. But swallows are much more maneuverable than swifts; they can easily, not only at high speed, but also practically on the spot, turn 360 degrees.

9th place. Common kestrel

Common kestrel (lat. Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey, a distant relative of the peregrine falcon. Hunts small rodents, attacking them from above. Develops speeds up to 60-65 km/h. Easily alternates between slow and rapid flight, preferring soft gliding in the air.

10th place. Chizh

Chizh (lat. Carduelis spinus) is a small songbird that almost never descends to the ground, preferring to perch on tree branches. In the air, a siskin can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.