icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
4 Aug, 2016 14:35

F1 racing pigeon? Bird breaks 100kph on Dutch highway (VIDEO)

F1 racing pigeon? Bird breaks 100kph on Dutch highway (VIDEO)

A pigeon was filmed zipping between cars and racing down a busy highway in the Netherlands at impressive speeds of up to 100kph (60mph).

The bird had no problem keeping up with traffic and overtook several cars along the way, at times coming very close to making contact with vehicles that would have surely blown the plucky pigeon to smithereens.

The pigeon, likely a racing breed, was presumably taking this risky Amsterdam to Utrecht route for aerodynamic reasons, using the slipstream of vehicles to gain an advantage over its competitors.

Racing pigeons is a popular sport all over the world and involves releasing specially-trained flocks of pigeons a measured distance from their home and timing their flight back.

Pigeons have been known to reach speeds of 130kph and can travel anywhere from 100 to 1,000km in one day. The person who uploaded this footage of the freeway-flapping pigeon said it had flown alongside their vehicle for 20km (12 miles).

Reddit users were extremely impressed with the bird’s speed and posted comments reacting in awe of the footage.

Just had a bit of an emotional response watching that little bird go down the motorway. Just don't want to see it get hurt, it is so awesome,” said Creativation.

That is actually kind of awesome. It's like some race car driver got reincarnated as a pigeon,” praised Xendrus.

READ MORE: Pigeons with backpacks livetweet London's pollution hotspots (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

That was some fast kind of a chicken,” added keyboardwarrior88.

That was amazing. Kinda like how the fish used the EAC highway in Finding Nemo,” said qtx.

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0