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

# Nile crocodile vs peregrine falcon

**Nile crocodile vs peregrine falcon: Nile crocodile leads on 3 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

Africa's largest crocodilian and, by most counts, the animal responsible for the most human deaths on the continent. The fastest animal on Earth, reaching over 320 km/h in a hunting stoop. On the measurements below, Nile crocodile leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | Nile crocodile | peregrine falcon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 225–750 kg | 0.33–1.5 kg |
| Length | 2.4–6 m | 0.34–0.58 m |
| Top speed | — | 90–390 km/h |
| Lifespan | 45–80 yr | 8–19 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: Nile crocodile is 389× heavier.
- Length: Nile crocodile is 8.9× longer.
- Lifespan: Nile crocodile is 3.8× 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 Nile crocodile bigger than a peregrine falcon?

Nile crocodile is heavier — 225–750 kg against 0.33–1.5 kg.

### Who would win, a Nile crocodile 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 Nile crocodile weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/nile-crocodile/)
- [How much does a peregrine falcon weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/peregrine-falcon/)
- [lion vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [lion vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [leopard vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [leopard vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [jaguar vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [jaguar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cheetah vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [cheetah vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cougar vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [cougar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [domestic cat vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [domestic cat vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-peregrine-falcon/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)