this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2023
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Science Memes

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Its diving speed during flight is more than 300 km (186 miles) per hour, making it not only the world’s fastest bird but also the world’s fastest animal. (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

To be faaaair, the cheetah reaches 100+ km/h on it's own merits, the dumb falcon just falls really fast

If you drop a whale from space it will probably beat that speed record while falling, the falcon doesn't get extra credit just because he can get up there and survive without help

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

A bowl of petunias would beat the falcon at some points in its descent from space. Possibly over and over again.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Straight horizontal max speed flight for the falcon is 110-130 km/h though, so still very fast even when not falling.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I had a pretty cool encounter with one about 6-7 years ago, I was on a driving holiday and we were cruising throught the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park doing about 90-100km and one of these guys just casually comes up to my window, so close I could have grabbed it. It must have picked some drag effect off the van like a wake in the air or something and it was just gliding next to us with the occasional flap for a good 5 minutes until there was an incoming car and it ducked out

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

That must have been incredible!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Okay, show me a cheetah running in microgravity.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

There ain't no way a whale's terminal velocity reaches 240 mph. The falcon's credit comes from the fact that it can make itself so aerodynamic.