---
title: "Bald eagle vs wild turkey — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Wild turkey is 1.8× bald eagle on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-wild-turkey/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Bald eagle vs Wild turkey

**Bald eagle vs wild turkey: Wild turkey is larger on weight**

Wild turkey is 1.8× bald eagle on weight.

A bald eagle and a wild turkey can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Bald eagle | Wild turkey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 3–6.3 kg | 2.5–11 kg |
| Length | 0.7–1 m | 0.76–1.25 m |
| Width | 1.8–2.3 m | 1.25–1.44 m |
| Top speed | 56–160 km/h | 89 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 15–38 yr | 3–13 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Wild turkey is 1.8× bald eagle on weight.
- Wild turkey is somewhat greater than bald eagle on length — about 1.2×.
- Bald eagle is somewhat greater than wild turkey on width — about 1.5×.
- Bald eagle is 1.8× wild turkey on top speed.
- Bald eagle is 5× wild turkey on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Wild turkey: 2.5–11 kg
- Bald eagle: 3–6.3 kg

## Bald eagle

The national bird of the United States, recovered from about 400 nesting pairs in 1963 to over 70,000 today.

## Wild turkey

A large ground bird of North American woodland; unlike domestic turkeys, it flies well over short distances.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, bald eagle or wild turkey?

Wild turkey is 1.8× bald eagle on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do bald eagles and wild turkeys compare on length?

Bald eagle: 0.7–1 m. Wild turkey: 0.76–1.25 m. Wild turkey is somewhat greater than bald eagle on length — about 1.2×.

### How do bald eagles and wild turkeys compare on width?

Bald eagle: 1.8–2.3 m. Wild turkey: 1.25–1.44 m. Bald eagle is somewhat greater than wild turkey on width — about 1.5×.

## Related pages

- [Bald eagle vs golden eagle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-golden-eagle/)
- [Bald eagle vs Canada goose](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-canada-goose/)
- [Bald eagle vs harpy eagle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-harpy-eagle/)
- [Bald eagle vs domestic cat](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-domestic-cat/)
- [Bald eagle vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-red-fox/)
- [Canada goose vs wild turkey](https://atoneplace.net/vs/canada-goose-vs-wild-turkey/)
- [Mute swan vs wild turkey](https://atoneplace.net/vs/mute-swan-vs-wild-turkey/)
- [Bald eagle vs three-toed sloth](https://atoneplace.net/vs/bald-eagle-vs-three-toed-sloth/)

## Sources

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