The Fastest Animal in Maine is Almost as Fast as a Jet Fighter

One of the many things that makes Maine such a great place to live and visit is the number of wildlife species in the state.

During a walk in the deep Maine woods, you could see everything from bears to deer and bobcats.

While many of these animals wander the forest munching on vegetation, some are straight-up predators.  The fastest animal in Maine is a prime example of this.

What is the fastest animal in Maine?

There is a good chance that you instantly thought the answer to the above question was going to be some kind of cat, right?  While we do have wild cats in Maine, the really fast ones are not found here.

Actually, the fastest animal in Maine is a bird.

According to A-Z Animals, the fastest animal in Maine is the peregrine falcon.

The website explains that peregrine falcons are capable of reaching speeds of 240 MPH!

To put that in perspective, the United States Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II lumbers along at about 340 MPH (300 knots).  Yes, the A-10 is a ground attack jet with a top speed that doesn't come close to the top speed of an F-35 or F-18, but you get the idea.

The peregrine only hits speeds that high when it is diving on prey.  Normally, it cruises along at about 55 MPH.

Check out this video of a peregrine falcon attacking a pigeon:

What are some of the other fastest animals in Maine?

The article goes on to list some of the other fast animals living in Maine.  For example, the bald eagle has a top speed of 99 MPH, the golden eagle has a top speed of 200 MPH, and the Canadian lynx has a top speed of 50 MPH.

Check out the entire list on the A-Z Animals website.