I was unaware that tiels are the fastest fliers of the Australian parrots. I read that statement somewhere today and I've been googling this and came up with many articles stating the same thing.

I can't say I'm too surprised because I'll boast every day what an awesome flier Lulu is - she is faster than Jerry and really a sight to see in flight. Here's a great little paragraph talking about tiels in flight:

"Their torpedo-shaped body and the long, slim, well-muscled wings help make cockatiels the fastest flyers of the Australian parrots. By far. Their descents would make them stars of any air show. Cockatiels plummet rapidly from on high in a perpendicular line not unlike a dropped stone. Then, only a few metres from solid earth, they spread their tails and wings, using them like the flaps on an airplane to soften their landing. Even generations of domesticity haven't diminished the flying ability of cockatiels."

Here's a link to the page where the excerpt above was taken - it has a wealth of all kinds of tiel information:
Pittwater Animal Hospital - Cockatiels

Lulu gives this information two wings up and a swan dive!

No wonder I can't get any decent photos of Dakota in flight while it's so easy for me to get them of Ollie, Mollie, and Mira.

No kidding! It's been extremely hard for me to get flight pics of Lulu - I've only gotten the one above (which was completely by accident), and another of her landing with her tail fanned out. She's just too fast for the camera.

Wow I never knew that tiels are fast flyers..I know at times that Tobi will circle the livingroom several times before landing on her play gym which is on top of her cage.

That's what I like about this site you can learn so much from other members.

Interesting never knew this either thanks

Interesting, that is good information. Wonder which species is the slowest. Might be the macaws.