Birds That Run Fast

Most bird species can barely walk, let alone run, relying more on their wings and the power of flight. Penguins, who are slow walkers, even rely on their wings to help them swim quickly. The fastest-running birds in the world are generally the ones who cannot use flight or swimming as an escape mechanism.

  1. Ostrich

    • The world's fastest running bird is also the largest. The ostrich grows to 9 feet in height and weighs up to 350 pounds. Its long, powerful legs can make strides of up to 16 feet, propelling the bird to speeds of up to 43 miles per hour. The bird is native to Africa, where it lives on the wide open savanna plains, using its speed to escape predators. Its legs are also powerful enough to do a lot of damage to potential predators if it decides to kick.

    Greater Rhea

    • The greater rhea is a South American cousin of the ostrich but is slightly smaller. It grows to 5 feet in height and up to 50 pounds. It is much smaller than the ostrich, but its powerful legs help it reach sprinting speeds of around 37 mph. It lives in the open pampas grass plains of Brazil and Argentina in family groups known as flocks.

    Emu

    • The emu is a large Australian bird that grows to over 6 feet in height and weighs up to 121 pounds. It has long, powerful legs which help it sprint up to 30 mph when escaping predators. They are also the only bird to have calf muscles in their legs. Most birds grow just one feather out of each follicle, but emus grow two, which creates the appearance of hair rather than feathers.

    Cassowary

    • The cassowary grows to just over 5 feet in height and up to 130 pounds, making it the second-heaviest bird species in the world. Like the emu, it has long, powerful legs which help it run at speeds of up to 31 mph. Also like the emu, it has hair-like feathers. The birds live in areas of northern Australia and New Guinea. They are aggressive, dangerous birds which can kick with their powerful legs and do damage with the sharp claws on their feet.