Unfortunately the Internet has more misinformation than factual information and the misinformation often spreads more rapidly and widely than factual information. It is often wiser to check scientific studies than to believe info repeated by individuals. One such example is people saying that eagles can’t release a fish when they are swimming in the water and they will drown. Not single video supporting this misconception. And if eagles could not release their talons at will, I guess they would all still be sitting on perches.
I have never seen a photo capturing a male hummingbird in a mating dive at 60 mph. Others can capture a swallow at its maximum horizontal flying speed of 35 mph, but not me.
Check the links below if you would like to see the most factual figures on the horizontal flying speeds of many birds.
The fastest birds in North America: According to the Guinness World Records the fastest horizontal honor belongs to the Red-breasted Merganser with a maximum recorded level flying speed of 81 mph. The silver medal probably goes to the tiny Common Swift that has been clocked at just under 70 mph.
In 2009, a research team from Sweden’s Lund University believed they had identified the fastest bird on the planet, the Common Swift. Using high speed cameras, they measured one bird reaching speeds of 69 mph during a “screaming party”, or mating flight.
