1. Peregrine falcon 389 km/h (242 mph) 108 m/s (354 ft/s)
The peregrine falcon is the fastest aerial animal, fastest animal in flight, fastest bird, and the overall quickest member of the animal kingdom. The peregrine achieves its highest velocity not in horizontal level flight, but during its characteristic hunting stoop (vertical flight).
While stooping, the peregrine falcon soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 320 km/h (200 mph). Assuming the maximum size at 58 cm, its relative speed clocks at 186 body lengths per second during its hunting swoop, the equivalent of a human running at 170 m/s (560 ft/s).
2. Golden eagle 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph) 67–89 m/s (220–293 ft/s)
Assuming the maximum size at 1.02 m, its relative speed clocks at 66–87 body lengths per second, the equivalent of a human running at 60–80 m/s (197–262 ft/s).
3. White-throated needletail 169 km/h (105 mph)
Also known as needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (105 mph) in horizontal flight, but this is unverified because the methods used to measure its speed have not been published.
They build their nests in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees. They do not like to sit on the ground and spend most of their time in the air. They feed on small, flying insects like beetles, flies, bees and moths.
White-throated needletails are large swifts with a robust, barrel-like body. They measure about 20 cm and weigh between 110 and 120 grams.
4. Eurasian hobby 160 km/h (100 mph)
The Eurasian hobby or just hobby, is a small, slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis. Can sometimes outfly the swift.
5. Mexican free-tailed bat 160 km/h (100 mph)
It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed (as opposed to stoop diving speed) of any organism.
6. Frigatebird 153 km/h (95 mph)
The frigatebird’s high speed is helped by it having the largest wing-area-to-body-weight ratio of any bird.
7. Rock dove (pigeon) 148.9 km/h (92.5 mph)
Pigeons have been clocked flying 92.5 mph (148.9 km/h) average speed on a 400-mile (640 km) race.
8. Spur-winged goose 142 km/h (88 mph)
The spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis) is a large bird in the family Anatidae, related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore treated in its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae. It occurs in wetlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
9. Gyrfalcon 128 km/h (80 mph)
The gyrfalcon is the largest falcon in the world, being about the same size as the largest buteos (buzzards) but probably slightly heavier.
10. Grey-headed albatross 127 km/h (79 mph)
The grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) also known as the gray-headed mollymawk, is a large seabird from the albatross family.
It has a circumpolar distribution, nesting on isolated islands in the Southern Ocean and feeding at high latitudes, further south than any of the other mollymawks. Its name derives from its ashy-gray head, throat and upper neck.
