birding-aus

Parrots in Flight. Who's Fastest?

To: Philip Veerman <>, "" <>
Subject: Parrots in Flight. Who's Fastest?
From: Mick Roderick <>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 00:20:47 +0000
Swift Parrots have often been called the "fasting flying parrot in the world" 
or "world's fastest parrot" in the media, e.g.:
https://gorcc.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/worlds-swiftest-parrot-visits-coast/
I have no idea where the claims come from though. 
HANZAB describes the flight as "exceedingly fast". Indeed, this can be to their 
undoing at times....
Mick 



From: Philip Veerman <>
 To:  
 Sent: Thursday, 25 February 2016, 10:50
 Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Parrots in Flight. Who's Fastest?
   
Most of the references to how fast the Peregrine Falcon flies are about its
stoops (not horizontal ground travel speed), so presumably close to zero
speed relative to horizontal ground travel (which is the only thing you can
test by driving), although they are also very fast in level flight if they
want to be. 

Even the not so fast Galahs can do up to about 80 km/h using the car
tracking method mentioned (I have done that). Of course wind speed can be a
contributing factor. 

Philip

-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus  On Behalf Of
Peter Pfeiffer
Sent: Thursday, 25 February 2016 9:06 AM
To: Barney Enders
Cc: 
Subject: Parrots in Flight. Who's Fastest?



There are many references to how fast the Peregrine Falcon flies so there
must be some way of measuring the speed birds fly that is a lot safer than
steering with ones knees  Ha Ha.
Barney.

Hi Barney,

Your reference to Peregrines reminded me of a sighting I had a few years
back.

I was out walking in Happy Valley SA when I ducked as what sounded like a
jet engine went screaming past about a metre or so above my head.
I turned to see two Rainbow lorikeets going ' flat knacker ' ducking and
weaving as a Peregrine falcon was in hot pursuit with wings folded close to
it's body.
They nearly took my head off.
They were out of sight in a second or so.

Something I will never forget. Fantastic!

Cheers,

Peter.

-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus  On Behalf Of
Donald G. Kimball
Sent: Wednesday, 24 February 2016 2:07 PM
To: birding-aus
Subject: Parrots in Flight. Who's Fastest?

Okay forgive me if I return to being a 10 year old boy and wanting to know a
question like this one but having spent so much time watching and filming
parrots I can't help but wonder.  Okay here are my impressions.  It seems
like Rainbow Lorikeets are crazy fast.  But having said that, I watched 2
Princess near Jupiter Well in 2008 that flew about 500m in about 4 seconds
to a nearby She-Oak.  Which begs the question also.  Are Princess faster
than other parrots? An internet acquaintance swore his free-flying pet
Princess was the fastest parrot in all of Aus.  I guess the only way we
might know is if folks on here have noticed parrot species flying parrallel
with their cars and took note of the speed.


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