Peregrine Falcon
Speed: Around 242 mph [in-flight] & 108 mph [diving]
The infamous Peregrine Falcon is respected in many cultures across the planet for its speed and hunting prowess. They live in every continent in some form except for Antarctica. Therefore, it is not shocking that you’ll see numerous subspecies of the main species, depending on the location. As of now, only 19 subspecies are recognized. Mankind has utilized the Peregrine for a very long time. It is respected due to how versatile it can be but also because it is one of the easier birds of prey to train for humans.
While for man, it will help hunt large game or spot some for them, it does not often hunt the same types of things. In fact, the Peregrine Falcon feeds more on other birds than any other animal. This includes small to medium-sized birds like songbirds, pigeons, doves, swifts, waders, you name it. They do tend to stay away from other falcons or the larger eagle. They can keep up with anything, however. Peregrines have an impressive dive speed of 108 mph with a horizontal flight speed of up to 242 mph recorded. This makes it not one of the fastest animals but THE fastest animal recorded.