Eli5: how do birds like Falcons come out of a 200+mph dive without being ripped apart by air resistance when they spread their wings?

Question

Like the title says. I know Falcons and raptors can dive at 200+ mph. So when they spread their wings to slow down how do they handle the insane force that they would be experiencing?

In: 160

Answer 1

They’re adapted to the forces they’re experiencing. For one thing, they’re much, much smaller and less dense. A peregrine falcon, the fastest animal in the world, can withstand up to 25Gs of acceleration. A trained human fighter pilot can withstand up to 9Gs, for a short period of time. They are lighter, they have a very high systolic pressure, and have very strong chest muscles.