There are many amazing creatures in the animal kingdom of nature, but when it comes to flying speed, I am afraid that only the famous "peregrine falcon" can compete with one of them. Don't underestimate this little bird of prey, it's a veritable "air fighter"!
Speaking of speed, can you imagine that there are birds that are faster than cheetahs? This is no joke; peregrine falcons can reach a top speed of 389 kilometers per hour when diving and hunting, directly throwing off the cheetah, a land runner! Even the high-speed train that we are proud of is slightly inferior, just imagine what an astonishing speed it is to be able to fly more than 90 meters in one second? To use an inappropriate analogy, it is as if you are standing on the side of the road and someone is whistling past you, and the next second you will no longer be able to see a human figure!
You may be in disbelief just to hear such horrific statistics, but when I tell you more about how the peregrine falcon does it, you'll be amazed. First of all, this is not the innate "stunt" of the peregrine falcon, but the "private teaching" of the parent bird. From the moment it can fly high, the parent bird will catch a live practice target, deliberately release it in front of the chicks for them to catch, and from time to time it will hurt the target to make it weak and slow down to reduce the difficulty.
Secondly, the peregrine falcon itself has "seamless" air armament. The subtleties that are imperceptible to the naked eye have been taken into account, and it is almost as if it was specially customized for extreme flying. Their bones are hard enough to withstand the force of a 25G impact, their eyes are protected from damage by goggles, they have a small cone on their nose to prevent air loss, and their wing feathers are so orderly that they remain fluid even at high speeds... It can be said that there is everything, none of which are sloppy, and you have to do every detail to the extreme to become the qualification of "flying speed".
In addition, the peregrine falcon plays with a very high-end "aerodynamics", which can maximize the use of air flow to achieve the purpose of acceleration, which is amazing. When diving, a small pinch of feathers will stand up on their body to separate the airflow, creating a huge downward impulse, and with the adjustment of the upper wing attitude and body rotation, the speed will soar like a rocket in an instant. Do you think it's just a little bird, do you think nature is really a miracle?
After listening to this exterior, you may already have an idea of why the peregrine falcon has such a "full firepower" flight ability. But I would add that it is better at predation than the average bird of prey, so its flight speed is relatively extreme. The average falcon friend usually flies 50-100 kilometers, which is not an exaggeration. But once the peregrine falcon is eyeing the prey on land or at low altitude, it will immediately switch to the "unmanned mode", pull the maximum horsepower of the mini body, and pounce on the prey.
In general, the reason why peregrine falcons can fly so fast is due to their natural superior physique, professional training of parent birds, unparalleled aerodynamic cultivation and excellent predatory instincts. Combining these four major advantages, it has actually created a bird that flies faster than a rocket! Seriously, if it weren't for the live video recording, who would have believed that a little guy who weighs only a pound could have such terrifying "firepower"?
But why do I say "live video recordings"? Doesn't this mean that this kind of magical air show is gradually decreasing? The answer is not good, after the large-scale use of pesticides and fertilizers, we humans have greatly polluted the environment, and many peregrine falcons have been buried under the toxins that have accumulated in their bodies for a long time. And those who survived were also targeted by humans as "cash cows". It can be seen that although this apex predator flies as fast as lightning, it is helpless in the face of various hazards to humans.
So, dear friends, we need to protect this wonderful natural wonder and restore the peregrine falcons to their original habitat, where they can fully display their flying prowess. Nor should we just hurt and capture them for our own selfish desires, which would not only be immoral, but would also make our planet more monotonous. Let's take action together to defend the planet's biodiversity.
Disclaimer: The information in this article comes from the Internet, which is not guaranteed to be completely correct and is for reference only.