Difference Between A Hawk And A Falcon: Easy Ways To Identify

Hawks and falcons are both birds of prey who hunt on other animals.

Both are magnificent hunters in nature. Hawks hunt on-ground animals while falcons kill birds in flight.

Hawks, being land hunters, live near open fields so that they can easily catch their prey. Hawks glide over an area in search of prey. Falcons, on the other hand, rise high in the air and dive on their prey while flying and hunt them down.

Hawks are mostly found in North America, Central America, the West Indies and Jamaica. Falcons can be found all over the world.

Both birds are mostly brown, white, and gray in color. Hawks and falcons have lots of characteristic differences that we shall discuss in the article below. So keep reading!

And if you like fun facts then also read our facts on the difference between a donkey and a mule.

How are their wings different?

Both hawks and falcons are birds of prey who are found in various places across the world. Both birds generally have lots of features in common.

Some of them are their flight style, food preference and physical features. If you see a photo of a hawk and a falcon, it will be tough to tell who is who if you don't have the proper information.

Falcons and hawks are hunter birds who are carnivorous in nature and only eat meat. Their hunting skills are top class and they are equipped with some deadly features.

These raptors have hooked beaks and sharp claws or talons in order to catch and then eat their prey. They also have well-built wings so that they can fly high and with good speed.

Though they have similar features, you can easily tell them apart if you have proper knowledge about them. Both hawks and falcons are carnivorous raptors but they belong to different families. Falcons belong in the family Falconidae, whereas hawks belong in the family Accipitridae, the family of eagles.

Hawks are bigger in size than falcons. The wings of hawks are bigger than those of falcons.

Hawks also have fingers at the end of each wing, whereas falcon's wings are generally pointed. Both hawks and falcons have long wings.

The Difference In Flight Pattern

Hawks are generally seen flying high in the sky while falcons can often be seen sitting in trees or on high buildings. Falcons also fly high in the sky but only to dive and catch their prey.

Falcons rarely hunt on the ground but they mostly prey on other birds while they are in flight. The peregrine, or the peregrine falcon, is known as the fastest flying bird in the world, or you can say it is the fastest animal in the world.

Hawks, in the eagle family, are bigger in size than falcons. Hawks have bigger features including wings, talons and bodies.

Both the raptors have sharp and pointed hooked beaks for tearing and eating flesh. They might be similar looking but have lots of characteristic differences that tell them apart.

Hawks tend to fly high in the air and can be seen gliding over a particular area. Hawks use their powerful vision for finding prey and, once they spot their prey, they jump from a height and catch it in their strong claws.

Hawks, being eagle species, hunt mainly on ground animals like snakes, rats, rabbits and other similar animals. Falcons, on the other hand, are expert hunters who catch and kill other birds mid-flight. Falcons are not seen to glide over an area like hawks.

They generally wait for their prey and sit on high trees or near buildings. Once they spot their prey, they tend to go high up in the sky to a great height and then do a steep dive from above, also known as a stoop.

When they reach their prey, they open up their wings to slow them down and hit the flying bird with their claws. The game is over!

While performing this stoop, peregrine falcons reach a maximum speed of 240 mph (386.2 kph). The peregrine falcon is known as the fastest animal in the world.

Difference In Size

Hawks and falcons are birds of prey from different families. Hawks are bird species from the order Accipitriformes in the family Accipitridae. Red-tailed hawks are one of the most famous hawks in the genus Buteo, and their scientific name is Buteo jamaicensis.

Falcons are from order Falconiformes in the family Falconidae. Their genus is Falco. They are both carnivorous birds of prey who are similar looking, and, if you see their photo, you may not even recognize the differences.

Hawks, in the family of eagles, are bigger birds than falcons. Both a hawk and a falcon have long wings, hairless sharp-shinned legs, short and rounded heads (some hawks have pointed heads), feet with sharp claws and hooked beaks.

They have so many similarities but still have differences. Red-tailed hawks are one of the biggest hawk species with a body length of around 18–26 in (45.7-66 cm) with a wingspan of 43.3-55.5 in (110–141 cm) and a weight of 1.5-3.5 lb (0.7-1.6 kg).

The peregrine falcon has a body length of around 13–23 in (33-58.4 cm) with a wingspan of 29–47 in (73.7-119.4 cm). Falcons mostly have a brown-gray body with gray tails.

Their ventral body portion is white in color. The mid and lower belly area has small stripes. Hawks, on the other hand, have different feather colors.

Hawks can be brown, gray, white, reddish, or black. Hawks have stripes on their tails as well.

The biggest difference between falcon and hawk species is that one is bigger and has bigger features and the other is smaller and has smaller features. Other than that, their hunting style and food preference also differ a bit.

How are their heads different?

Be it hawk or falcon, both are carnivorous birds of prey who kill other animals for food. Hawk species are birds of prey who hunt on ground animals, while falcon species hunt down flying birds. Both have long wings, strong claws and a similar-looking body, but their head size differs a bit, though a hawk is bigger.

Some hawks have round heads while some have sleek and pointed heads. All falcon species have similar round and short heads with hooked beaks. Falcons have a gray and white head while hawks have different colors like brown, reddish or gray. Both these bird species are great hunters and one of a kind.

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