Ontario is home to the three fastest animals in the world
Did you know that the three fastest animals on the planet all call Ontario home?
The cheetah is widely known as the fastest land animal, with a blistering top speed of over 120 km/h, but it only ranks 11th on the list of the world’s fastest overall organisms.
All ten of the fastest animals on earth, ranking above the cheetah, are winged, with nine types of birds and one species of bat. And you don’t have to travel all the way to far-off destinations like the Serengeti to witness many of these speed demons in their natural habitats.
Here are the three fastest animals on earth, all of which can be found in Ontario:
Peregrine falcon
With a top dive speed of 389 km/h (242 mph), which is about 108 metres per second (354 ft/s), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) outpaces the world’s fastest bullet train by about 40 km/h.
This lightning-quick species can be found on every continent besides Antarctica, with Ontario and much of Canada falling within the peregrine’s passage visitor range.
According to provincial data, urban populations exist, and peregrines are known to nest in Toronto.
“Urban peregrines raise their young on ledges of tall buildings, even in busy downtown areas,” reads an Ontario government page on the avian predators, adding that “cities offer peregrines a good year-round supply of pigeons and starlings to feed on.”
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The province says that “although Peregrine Falcons now nest in and around Toronto and several other southern Ontario cities, the majority of Ontario’s breeding population is found around Lake Superior in northwestern Ontario.”
Golden eagle
You’re going to notice a bit of a common thread among the world’s fastest animals, with all three being birds of prey that achieve their top speeds while diving in for the kill.
And, at scorching speeds that can reach 240 to 320 km/h (150 to 200 mph), or a mind-melting 67 to 89 metres per second (220 to 293 ft/s), a diving golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) moves at approximately the same top speed of an arrow fired from a compound bow.
According to the province, this endangered species nests in “remote, undisturbed areas, usually building their nests on ledges on a steep cliff or riverbank, but they will also use large trees if needed.”
The golden eagle is present in very limited numbers in Ontario, and provincial officials believe there are just 10 to 20 breeding pairs in the province.
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While sightings are rare, the golden eagle has a range covering the entire province, but you are most likely to encounter one migrating westward along the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in November.
Some golden eagles have been known to winter in Southern Ontario, and while there is some evidence of breeding birds in these southern ranges, golden eagles rearing young are only known to exist in the Hudson Bay Lowland.
Gyrfalcon
The third-fastest animal on the planet is the gyrfalcon, with an impressive top dive speed of 209 kilometres per hour (130 mph), or roughly the same speed as that guy on a motorcycle with a death wish who weaved past you in Highway 401 gridlock that one time.
Found across northern Canada, the gyrfalcon’s breeding resident range covers a band that extends across the country, including the northern reaches of Ontario. Its winter vagrancy range extends south of the US border.
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The gyrfalcon is the official bird of the Northwest Territories, though sightings of the species are much more common in Ontario.
Honourable mention:
Rock dove (better known as the pigeon)
All of the world’s fastest animals are birds, but some non-predatory species are also included in the top ten.
Did you know those winged rats pecking at hot dog bun scraps along Queen Street are actually the eighth-fastest animals on the planet?
Well, maybe not those specific pigeons, but racing homing pigeons of the same genetics (but much better pedigree) have been recorded reaching average speeds of almost 150 km/h on long-haul races.
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This speed makes pigeons efficient scavengers, but, unfortunately, it is not quite quick enough to prevent them from becoming lunch for the other birds mentioned above.