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

# peregrine falcon vs spotted hyena

**peregrine falcon vs spotted hyena: spotted hyena leads on 3 of 4 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The fastest animal on Earth, reaching over 320 km/h in a hunting stoop. A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan. On the measurements below, spotted hyena 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

|  | peregrine falcon | spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 0.33–1.5 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Length | 0.34–0.58 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Height | — | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Top speed | 90–390 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,100 psi |
| Lifespan | 8–19 yr | 12–25 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: spotted hyena is 67× heavier.
- Length: spotted hyena is 2.9× longer.
- Top speed: peregrine falcon is 5.3× faster.
- Lifespan: spotted hyena is 1.5× 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 spotted hyena?

spotted hyena is heavier — 40–86 kg against 0.33–1.5 kg.

### Who would win, a peregrine falcon or a spotted hyena?

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 spotted hyena weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/spotted-hyena/)
- [lion vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [lion vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [leopard vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [jaguar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [jaguar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cheetah vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cheetah vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [cougar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cougar vs peregrine falcon](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-peregrine-falcon/)
- [snow leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/snow-leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [domestic cat vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-spotted-hyena/)

## Sources

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