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ostrich vs peregrine falcon

ostrich vs peregrine falcon
ostrich leads on 2 of 3 measures
Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest and fastest bird, laying eggs that weigh about 1.4 kg each. The fastest animal on Earth, reaching over 320 km/h in a hunting stoop. On the measurements below, ostrich 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

ostrich peregrine falcon
Mass 63–156 kg 0.33–1.5 kg
Length — 0.34–0.58 m
Height 1.7–2.8 m —
Top speed 60–70 km/h 90–390 km/h
Lifespan 30–50 yr 8–19 yr

Where each one leads

  • Mass: ostrich is 122× heavier.
  • Top speed: peregrine falcon is 4.6× faster.
  • Lifespan: ostrich is 3.1× 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 ostrich bigger than a peregrine falcon?
ostrich is heavier — 63–156 kg against 0.33–1.5 kg.
Who would win, a ostrich 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

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution

How these figures are compiled and checked