This question gained a staggering amount of attention in the early 1970s after the ornithological documentary Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Soon several studies were commissioned to provide the zoological community with a clear answer.

Unfortunately the scientific means and methods of that time were lacking today’s sophistication and efficiency and by 1993 the world’s population of African swallows had gone completely extinct from careless testing without leaving a single conclusive piece of evidence on their average travelling speed.

Because migratory bird species have developed a very efficient mechanism to facilitate their flight.

They fly in formation in order to conserve energy - similar to the way driving in a larger vehicle’s slip stream reduces the amount of gas your own vehicle requires.

The same cannot be said for migratory lizard species who always require the same amount of gas, no matter which formation they fly in.