# how fast can pigeons fly at top speed?



## scuba0095 (May 23, 2006)

Just the normal feral pigeons? Does anyone know? THye must be one of the fastest birds in the world?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Many can hold 'sixty' with no problem...


The other day, still air, I was driving on a large industrial road, and a Mourning Dove was flying about ten feet to my right and about fifteen feet up.


Anyway, I was going like 48 miles an hour, and the Mourning Dove was only 'flitting' it's Wings, it was not even hardly 'flying' in any way which suggested effort...

He stayed next to me there for about fifteen seconds then veered off and poured the soup to it and was very soon out of sight.


I have often seen Pigeons pacing me or other traffic on the freeway here, so they cen definitely hold those speeds just for fun if they want...and probably even better if they have a reason.


Ground-Speed or Air Speed of course will differ according to Wind direction and Wind speed...


If a Pigeon is flying into a high Wind, they will appear to move forward a lot slower...and if a tail wind, then their actual speed PLUS the Wind speed have to be added.


If say a fourty mile an hour Tail Wind, and a Pigeon flying at 'sixty', the perceived speed of the Pigeon then would be 100 miles an hour.



Phil
l v


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## scuba0095 (May 23, 2006)

I wonder if they can go almost as fast as a falcon? ANyway They seem to be much faster flyers then hawks!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

scuba0095 said:


> I wonder if they can go almost as fast as a falcon? ANyway They seem to be much faster flyers then hawks!


Well, they're very hawk savvy for one thing and it would depend on the type of hawk that's after them. I expect the vast majority of feral pigeons that get taken by a hawk are sick already or very young.


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