---
title: "mallard vs peregrine falcon — size, speed and bite force"
description: "mallard and peregrine falcon compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounter."
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/mallard-vs-peregrine-falcon/
site: "At One Place"
---

# mallard vs peregrine falcon

**mallard vs peregrine falcon: Evenly matched on the numbers**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The most common wild duck in the Northern Hemisphere and the ancestor of nearly all domestic ducks. The fastest animal on Earth, reaching over 320 km/h in a hunting stoop. The measurements below split evenly, which is rarer than it sounds.

## The measurements

|  | mallard | peregrine falcon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 0.7–1.6 kg | 0.33–1.5 kg |
| Length | 0.5–0.65 m | 0.34–0.58 m |
| Top speed | 88 km/h | 90–390 km/h |
| Lifespan | 3–29 yr | 8–19 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: mallard is 1.2× heavier.
- Length: mallard is 1.3× longer.
- Top speed: peregrine falcon is 3.6× faster.
- Lifespan: peregrine falcon is 2.6× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a mallard bigger than a peregrine falcon?

mallard is heavier — 0.7–1.6 kg against 0.33–1.5 kg.

### Who would win, a mallard or a peregrine falcon?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a mallard weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/mallard/)
- [How much does a peregrine falcon weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/peregrine-falcon/)
- [lion vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [lion vs mallard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-mallard/)
- [leopard vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [jaguar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cheetah vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cougar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [domestic cat vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [domestic cat vs mallard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-mallard/)
- [grizzly bear vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [gray wolf vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [coyote vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [honey badger vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/honey-badger-vs-peregrine-falcon/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)