---
title: "peregrine falcon vs red fox — size, speed and bite force"
description: "peregrine falcon and red fox 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/peregrine-falcon-vs-red-fox/
site: "At One Place"
---

# peregrine falcon vs red fox

**peregrine falcon vs red fox: Evenly matched on the numbers**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The fastest animal on Earth, reaching over 320 km/h in a hunting stoop. The most widely distributed wild carnivore on Earth, at home from tundra to city centre. The measurements below split evenly, which is rarer than it sounds.

## The measurements

|  | peregrine falcon | red fox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 0.33–1.5 kg | 2.2–14 kg |
| Length | 0.34–0.58 m | 0.45–0.9 m |
| Height | — | 0.4 m |
| Top speed | 90–390 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Lifespan | 8–19 yr | 2–15 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: red fox is 6.7× heavier.
- Length: red fox is 1.6× longer.
- Top speed: peregrine falcon is 6.4× faster.
- Lifespan: peregrine falcon is 3.3× 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 peregrine falcon bigger than a red fox?

red fox is heavier — 2.2–14 kg against 0.33–1.5 kg.

### Who would win, a peregrine falcon or a red fox?

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 peregrine falcon weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/peregrine-falcon/)
- [How much does a red fox weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/red-fox/)
- [lion vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-red-fox/)
- [lion vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [leopard vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-red-fox/)
- [leopard vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [jaguar vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-red-fox/)
- [jaguar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cheetah vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-red-fox/)
- [cheetah vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cougar vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-red-fox/)
- [cougar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [domestic cat vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-red-fox/)
- [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/)