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What is the

fastest flyer?

In level flight, a white-throated needletail
is the fastest bird in the air. It has a top

speed of 105 mph (170 kph).

The white-throated
needletail is a species of
swift. These birds spend
most of their time high in the
sky hunting for insects, and they
rarely land. Needletails travel long
distances, breeding in Siberia,
China, and Japan, then
migrating south to countries
such as Australia.

DIVING SPEEDS

The peregrine falcon has the
fastest dive of any bird. It flies up
high, looking for prey. When it
spots a duck or a pigeon, it folds
its wings and drops into a steep
dive at speeds some estimate at
more than 185 mph (300 kph).
At the last minute, it stretches
out its talons to snatch its victim.

US_138_139_309600_ICBT_Fastest_flyer.indd 138 19/12/17 2:36 pm