The peregrine falcon, earlier known as the ‘duck hawk’, is the fastest flying bird on the planet. With an average diving speed of 320 km/h during its hunting stoop, the bird becomes the fastest living creature in the world. The peregrine falcon holds the record for the maximum airspeed of 389 km/h. Barring extreme polar regions, high mountains, and tropical rainforests, one can find peregrine falcons almost everywhere on earth. Geographically, this bird is not only the most widely found bird of prey, but one of the most widespread bird species on the planet as well.
However, giving the title of the fastest flying bird to the peregrine falcon is debatable. The flying speed of the bird is the highest only when it stoops or dives to hunt. When comparing level flying speeds of birds, the white-throated needletail is considered the fastest. This bird has recorded maximum airspeed of 169 km/h in continuous level flight.
