Eye to eye with the fastest creature on the planet. While it is commonly accepted that the Peregrine Falcon outperforms anything else out there, it is still unclear which actual top speed it achieves in dives. Speeds beyond 300 km/h are often cited, but individual measurements close to 400 km/h have been reported. Looking into its round eyes and cuddly shape, I wouldn’t have guessed quite those speeds. How the bird manages to simply stay in one piece at those speeds is a miracle to me, considering that it is just about 400-700 g airborne weight ripping through the sky. The Peregrine Falcon has its wings almost completely folded in during those fast dives and steers with body movements and tail feathers.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: Falco peregrinus
Common names: Peregrine Falcon

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Keyword tags: Australia; Bird; Falcon; Nature; Northern Territory; Peregrine Falcon; Fastest Creature