Which animal moves the fastest in the sky?
As we all know, cheetahs are the fastest-running animal on land , but the animal kingdom is not limited to the surface of the earth. What is the fastest flying animal? What biological characteristics make it so fast?
The fastest flying in nature is peregrine . "Perina" means "traveler" in Latin , and the name is suitable because this raptor can travel 15,550 miles (25,000 kilometers). Peregrine falcons are global birds found on every continent except Antarctica.
Peregrine falcon preys from very high places, from the sky or from high places. When they find a target, they dive at high speed, attack with their tight feet, knock out or kill prey with impact. During the dive, peregrine falcons can reach speeds of about 200 mph (320 km/h), making it not only the fastest bird in the world, but also the fastest animal in the world.
According to the Guinness World Record, experimental diving shows that the peregrine falcon can even reach 242 mph (389 km/h). During a series of dives in 1999, a female peregrine falcon named "Fear" owned by the Washington Friday Harbor pilot and hawk trainer Ken Franklin set a world record after parachuting from an airplane about 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) above sea level. According to the Guinness World Records, the 6-year-old "fear" is about 16 inches (40.6 cm) long, weighs about 2.2 pounds (1 kg) and has a wingspan of about 41 inches (104 cm).
To measure the speed of "fear" Franklin took a 4-ounce (113.4 grams) computer chip from the recording altimeter of the skydiving and fixed it to the "fear" tail feather. Then Franklin measured how far he had been "feared" in a certain period of time. Franklin and a photographer also brought an altimeter (a device for measuring height) while bent over and skydiving. According to " Guinness World Record ", after the dive, the data of all devices were compared.
So, what is the anatomy feature that helps the peregrine falcon to reach such a high speed?
peregrine falcon has pointed wings, similar to the wings of fighter jets. This shape reduces the resistance of peregrine falcons in the air, helping them fly faster.
Peregrine falcon has a muscular, teardrop-like body, which also helps streamlined birds, reduce drag and helps it fall like a bullet. In addition, compared to other falcons , their feathers are very tight and rigid in structure, probably to reduce drag and allow it to fly smoother in the air.
At the same time, there is a small knob system in the nostrils of the peregrine falcon, which is considered a baffle - a structure that regulates the passage of liquid. These knobs work by reducing the flow of air into the airway. This may help the peregrine falcon breathe as it swiftly dives.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the peregrine falcon helps it hunt—mainly other birds, from small to hummingbird , and large to sandhill cranes. Scientists have recorded about 450 species of birds in North America as their prey, while the number of species in the world may be as many as 2,000.
The shape of the peregrine falcon is very similar to their main prey ordinary pigeon, also known as rock pigeon . Both evolved together, one to escape the other and the other to chase the other. Interestingly, their speeds all come from the same body size.
Peregrine falcons also eat bats , occasionally stealing prey from other raptors, such as fish and rodents.
In fact, peregrine falcons are the fastest flying animals in the air during diving, while bats are the fastest flying animals on record. Brazilian Freetail Bat is the fastest known bat in the world, with a speed of up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). This is very fast compared to the peregrine falcon flying speed. The average flight speed of the peregrine falcon during flight is 25 to 34 mph (40 to 55 km/h), and the average flight speed when chasing prey is 69 mph (112 km/h).
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