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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The peregrine falcon is commonly called the world’s fastest animal because it can reach extraordinary speeds in a hunting dive; the cheetah is the fastest land mammal. Those are different kinds of movement, not a like-for-like race, and published estimates for the falcon’s top speed vary.
Which animal is fastest?
It depends on what you mean by “fastest.” For a hunting dive, the peregrine falcon is the usual answer. For a sprint on land, it is the cheetah. Comparing the two without naming the movement mode makes the claim sound more precise than the available figures support.
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- Fastest in a dive: peregrine falcon, with commonly cited estimates of up to 200 mph (323 km/h) and, in a separate Smithsonian Channel description, up to 242 mph.
- Fastest land mammal: cheetah. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo gives an average top-speed range of 60–70 mph (96–112 km/h).
How fast does a peregrine falcon dive?
National Geographic Kids says a peregrine falcon can dive at up to 200 mph (323 km/h) to catch prey in flight (National Geographic Kids’ peregrine falcon profile). A Smithsonian Channel description from 2016 gives a higher figure: up to 242 mph (Smithsonian Channel’s description of a peregrine attack).
These are separate reported maximums, not results from a shared test. The cited descriptions do not provide enough common measurement detail to determine why the numbers differ or establish one settled figure. It is safer to describe the peregrine as capable of exceptionally fast hunting dives than to present either number as a definitive, directly comparable record.
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How fast is a cheetah on land?
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute reports that cheetahs’ top speed averages 60–70 mph (96–112 km/h), but they can maintain it for only about 300 yards (274 m). The zoo also says a cheetah can accelerate from zero to 45 mph (72 km/h) in 2.5 seconds (Smithsonian National Zoo’s cheetah profile).
A field study gives useful context for treating the familiar top-speed figure cautiously. In a 2013 account of research on wild cheetahs in Botswana, National Geographic reported that the fastest speed recorded among the study animals was 58 mph (93 km/h), below the often-claimed 70 mph (112.7 km/h) (National Geographic’s report on the Botswana cheetah study). That result describes the sampled animals and study conditions; it does not establish a universal speed limit for every cheetah.
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Why the numbers are hard to compare
A falcon’s hunting dive and a cheetah’s ground sprint differ in movement mode, and the sources do not establish matching measurement methods. The figures also do not all represent the same kind of evidence: some are general maximum estimates, while the cheetah study reports the fastest speed recorded in one study group. A peak speed is also different from a speed an animal can sustain over a distance.
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| Animal and movement | Reported speed | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|
| Peregrine falcon, hunting dive | Up to 200 mph (323 km/h) | National Geographic Kids’ species profile; underlying measurement method is not stated there. |
| Peregrine falcon, hunting dive | Up to 242 mph | Smithsonian Channel page description uploaded in 2016; a comparable measurement method is not established. |
| Cheetah, land sprint | Average top speed of 60–70 mph (96–112 km/h) | Smithsonian National Zoo species profile; the zoo says this speed can be maintained for about 300 yards (274 m). |
| Wild cheetahs in a Botswana study | 58 mph (93 km/h) fastest recorded for the study group | National Geographic’s 2013 account of the study; this is a group result, not a universal ceiling for cheetahs. |
What the cheetah study tells us beyond top speed
The Botswana research also highlights acceleration and power, not just a single peak-speed number. National Geographic reported that the wild cheetahs in the study produced 120 watts per kilogram, compared in the article with 25 W/kg for Usain Bolt, 30 W/kg for racehorses and 60 W/kg for greyhounds. Those figures concern power, not top speed, so they should not be used to rank the animals by maximum velocity.
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Study leader Alan Wilson, a professor of locomotor biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College, described the significance this way: “What we did record, however, [were] some of the highest values for acceleration, deceleration, and body-mass power [the amount of energy generation per kilogram] ever measured for any terrestrial animal.” (National Geographic, 2013)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The useful short answer
If someone asks for the world’s fastest animal, say the peregrine falcon—when the comparison includes a hunting dive. If the question is specifically about running on land, say the cheetah. The distinction matters more than choosing one falcon speed estimate: the cited sources give different figures and do not provide a common method for resolving them.
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