WORLD'S MOST WIDESPREAD FLAMINGO

The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southwest Asia (including Turkey), southern Asia (coastal regions of India) and southern Europe (including Spain, Sardinia, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, and the Camargue region of France). Some populations are short distance migrants. Greater flamingo is the state bird of Gujarat, India.

This is a large species, averaging 120-140cm tall. Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking. Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000–1,000,000 km². According to IUCN, the global population size has not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population size criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., less than 10,000 mature individuals).

WORLD'S FASTEST BIRD

Falcon species Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) found worldwide and historically also known as "Duck Hawk", Black Shaheen and Indian Shaheen is the world's fastest flying bird. Peregrines are large sized falcons, 13 – 19 in. (33 – 48 cm) long and grey above, with black-barred whitish underparts. About seventeen subspecies are recognized, which vary in appearance and range. They fly high and dive at tremendous speed (up to 175 mph, or 280 kph — the greatest speeds attained by any bird, and also any animal), striking with clenched talons and killing by impact. They usually nest in a scrape on a high cliff ledge near water, where bird prey is plentiful. Breeding programs have reintroduced the species into the wild and introduced it into urban areas, where it finds a cliff like habitat among skyscrapers and preys chiefly on the rock dove. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon" and refer to the migratory habits of some populations of this widespread species.
The breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the Tropics. Essentially, this species can be found everywhere on Earth, including India, except in the polar regions, on very high mountains, in deserts, and most tropical rain forests making it the world's most widespread falcon, and in fact the most widespread bird of prey. It feeds almost exclusively on medium-sized birds, but will occasionally hunt small mammals. It reaches sexual maturity at one year, and mates for life. The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by large scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

WORLD'S HIGHEST FLYING BIRD

The Bar Headed Goose (Anser indicus) is recorded to have flown to an amazing height of 10175 m (33,382 feet). Thus they can easily cross the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest which has an altitude of 8,848 m (29,028 feet).
This highest flier goose breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes. It lays 3-8 eggs in a ground nest. During summer the bird grazes on short grass near high altitude lakes.
The Bar-headed Goose migrates over the Himalayas to spend the winter in the wetland bound plains of Northern India, Northern Burma and the wetlands of Pakistan. The winter habitat of the Bar-headed Goose is on cultivation, and the bird feeds on barley, rice and wheat. It has a slightly larger wing area for its weight than other geese. It is believed this helps the goose to fly so high.