Apr 11
Ask this question of most folks and they immediately think of the cheetah. Not even close. The fastest animal is actually a bird, the Peregrine Falcon! While its cruising speed of 40-70 mph is impressive enough, the raptor’s diving (stooping) speed reaches a staggering 99 to 273 mph!
Modern city residents may be even more familiar with these beautiful creatures than rural residents as the cliff-dwelling birds have found a perfect habitat among soaring skyscrapers and plentiful prey in the form of pigeons. You can read more about them over at Extreme Science. The picture above came from AndrewN. Click his name to see more of his photography!