"Brazilian free-tailed bats may have achieved speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour in level flight, which would make them faster than any bird.
“These are the fastest powered flight speeds documented yet in any vertebrate that is, in bats or birds,” says Gary McCracken of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “We didn’t expect these results, even though the Brazilian free-tailed bats are known for their exceptional fast flight.”
Previous studies suggested that birds fly faster than bats, but birds have received much more attention, McCracken says. The fastest bird on record for level flight is the common swift (Apus apus), which reaches around 112 km/h." (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2112044-speedy-bat-flies-at-160kmh-smashing-bird-speed-record/)
but in the Wikipedia,
"The species has been measured at a ground speed of 160 km/h (99 mph),
measured by an aircraft tracking device.[27]
The measurement methodology did not simultaneously record wind speed
and ground speed, so the observations could have been affected by
strong local gusts, and the bat's maximum air speed remains uncertain.[28]"
the tailwind speed was not measured that time, so the record is not credible.
Internartion Bat Conservation hompepage says,
"Mexican free-tailed bats are designed for rapid, long-distance travel. Their exceptionally long, narrow wings are geared for relatively highspeed, low-maneuverability flight in open areas. Even their short, velvety fur appears to be an adaptation to reduce drag, and their ear orientation appears to form airfoils that contribute lift during flight. They have been clocked at average flight speeds of 25 miles per hour and as high as 47 miles per hour in level flight, but they can also attain speeds of over 60 miles per hour using tail winds."
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/6223769222)
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