Hummingbirds, dragonflies, ducks - How fast can birds and insects fly?

Have you ever looked at a hummingbird or a dragon-fly and marvel at just how fast their wings can flap? The actual speed of flight of some of these animals will surprise you.

Though they are often too fast for us to catch, houseflies are not as fast as they seem. They manage just 7 km/hr (4 mph), a brisk walking pace.

The European bee (apis mellifera - honey-bearer), also called the western bee, is one of the most widespread insects in the world. The little bee, when in flight, can reach 24 km/h (15 mph).

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The hornet, also called aponale or red cravunaro, is about 2.5 cm long. However, its small size does not prevent it from reaching 22 km/h (13 mph) when in flight.

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Belonging to the same family of vispids, the giant Asian hornet (vespa mandarinia), also known as the Japanese hornet, is the largest in the world and can reach speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph).

The moth belongs to the same family as butterflies, but is characterized by duller colours. This nocturnal insect can fly at a maximum speed of 20 km/h (12 mph).

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The gadfly or tabanidae, known in English as ''horse fly'', belongs to the diptera family. The horse gadfly species can reach speeds of up to 42 km/h (26 mph).

Slower, however, are the locusts, orthoptera insects of the Acrididae family. Their maximum speed in flight is 9 km/h (5 mph).

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The mosquito is also part of the order Diptera which includes about 3,540 species. Its speed in flight is between 1.5 and 2.5 km/h (1-1.5 mph).

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This winged insect, among the smallest in nature, is also among the slowest. Its movements hardly exceed 5 km/h (3 mph), which is in any case a respectable speed given its very small size.

The queen of winged insects is the dragonfly, which beats all those seen so far with its incredible speed. The fascinating insect, belonging to the order of the Odonata, can fly at a speed of 60 km/h (37 mph)!

Let's now move on to the world of birds to find out what their speed is in flight. Let's start with the slowest one, the American woodcock. Its flight does not exceed 8 km/h (5 mph).

Photo: Wikipedia

The seagull belongs to the subfamily of larid seabirds of the order of the Charadriiformes: the most common is the Larus. This famous winged species flies at a speed of around 35-40 km/h (22-25 mph).

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The small house sparrow (scientific name Passer domesticus), measuring 14-18 cm and weighing no more than 40 g, can fly at a speed of 46 km/h (28 mph), therefore faster than a seagull, despite its small size.

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The barn swallow, whose scientific name is Hirundo rustica, can reach speeds of between 50 and 70 km/h (31-43 mph) during migration.

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While the thorn-tailed swift (Hirundapus caudacutus) can reach a maximum speed of 170 km/h (106 mph), ranking among the fastest birds in the world.

Photo: Wikipedia

The subbuteo falcon or Eurasian hobbyist is a bird of prey of the Falconidae family: in a dive it can reach 160 km/h (99 mph).

This marine bird of impressive size belongs to the Diomedeidae family, the grey-headed albatross can fly at a maximum speed of almost 130 km/h (81 mph).

Another of the fastest birds in the world is a diving duck: the lesser merganser. Present in the rivers and lakes of Europe, Asia and North America, it reaches an incredible flying speed of 160 km/h (99 mph)!

By hummingbirds we mean all trochilids, more than 300 species. The Calypte anna species can reach a diving speed of 98 km/h (61 mph) or flap their wings 10 to 15 times per second. North American hummingbirds average around 53 beats per second in normal flight.

Always considered the queen of the skies, the golden eagle, a bird that belongs to the Accipitridae family, has incredibly precise flight at a truly incredible speed: 320 km/h (199 mph).

Finally, the fastest bird in the world, by far, is the peregrine falcon, a bird of prey of the Falconidae family, that can reach an astonishing speed of almost 370 km/h (230 mph) when swooping down on its prey.

Photo by Gerry from Pixabay