Which Birds are the Fastest Fliers?

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Swifts are among the fastest flying birds. The spine tailed swifts of eastern Asia are the fastest known birds which have been timed at over 200 km/h in level flight. Swifts catch insects while flying, swooping through swarms of insects with their gaping mouth, wide open. They often fly throughout the night without landing. Other fast fliers include peregrine falcons, swallows and homing pigeons. Peregrine falcons can chase their prey in level flight at 60 km/h and are known to exceed this speed when stooping or diving on prey. Swallows are believed to reach 160 km/h while migrating and homing pigeons can generate speed up to 80 km/h.

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