65 What is the most common wild bird in the world? The red-billed quelea is the world’s most numerous wild bird. Over 1.5 thousand million of them live in Africa. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Which bird can fly the fastest? When a peregrine falcon stoops down on its prey, it can reach speeds of over 180 kph (110 mph), making it the fastest-flying bird. How long do birds live, and which bird lives the longest? Songbirds may live between 8 and 12 years, while hummingbirds live for 6 to 8 years, and warblers 3 to 6 years. Some birds such as penguins and albatrosses live longer. The large Laysan albatross can live for up to 80 years. Which birds are best at swimming? Gentoo penguins are the fastest swimmers, reaching speeds of 36 kph (22.3 mph). Emperor penguins can stay underwater for up to 18 minutes. Which birds spend the most time in the air? Swifts spend most of their lives in the air. They even sleep on the wing, carrying on gliding on air currents with their wings outstretched. Which bird makes the longest journey when migrating? Arctic terns make one of the longest annual migrations of any bird. They fly 40,000 km (25,000 miles) from the Arctic to the Antarctic and then back again. How do migrating birds find their way across the world? Migrating birds follow the same routes every year, but nobody knows exactly how. They may use the position of the Sun and stars to help them find their way, or they may follow prominent features in the landscape below them, such as coastlines and mountains. Some people think they might also use Earth’s magnetic field. Why do some birds have huge wings? The wandering albatross has the greatest wingspan of any bird. It spends most of its life above the ocean, using its huge wings to soar in light winds. How high in the sky can birds fly? Bar-headed geese fly across the Himalayan mountains when migrating to their winter feeding grounds in India. They fly at heights of over 8,000 m (nearly 5 miles) – almost as high as jet planes. Biggest bird The ostrich is the largest, tallest, and heaviest bird. Male ostriches are up to 2.7 m (9 ft) tall. Smallest bird The bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world. It is 5.7 cm (2.2 in) long, and its beak and tail cover about half its size. Fastest level flight The spine-tailed swift and the red-breasted merganser have been credited with flying at 161 kph (100 mph) in level flight. Wing-beat speed During courtship display, the ruby-throated hummingbird can beat its wings at a rate of 200 beats per second. RECORD BREAKERS Wandering albatross Peregrine Emperor penguin Wingspan of up to 3.63 m (11.9 ft) Penguins use their small, stiff wings like flippers to propel them through the water.