What is the most agile bird?

Is it a bird, is it a plane? The most nimble bird in the world is common throughout the Northern Hemisphere.


Asked by: Rachel Sanchez, Manchester

The masters of low-speed aerobatics are the hummingbirds, which can hover with millimetre precision, and fly sideways or backwards.

But in the avian Olympics, the slalom medals are all won by woodland raptors such as the northern goshawk. Despite having a wingspan of over a metre, these birds can chase prey at up to 60km/h while weaving through dense forest.

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