Eagle or hawk?
How to tell them apart
Eagles and hawks belong to the same family. “Eagle” just marks the bigger species, large enough to hunt prey about 50 cm long or more.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, kept as a pet.
| Question | Eagle | Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Bird | Bird |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Daytime | Daytime |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? differs | No | Sometimes |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Eagle | Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Mountains, Forest, Grassland, Coast | Forest, Grassland, Farmland |
| Size differs | Large | Medium |
| Weight differs | From 450 g (Great Nicobar serpent eagle) upward | – |
| Legs | 2 | 2 |
| Covered in | Feathers | Feathers |
| Lives differs | In pairs | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 20–30 years | 12–20 years |
| Can fly | Yes | Yes |
| Swims | No | No |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Eagle
Large birds of prey with huge hooked beaks and powerful talons. “Eagle” isn’t one natural group: it covers about 68 species big enough to hunt sizeable vertebrates.
Hawk
Birds of prey of the eagle family, found on every continent except Antarctica. “True” hawks such as goshawks and sparrowhawks are woodland hunters with short, broad wings; in the US the name also covers the broad-winged buzzards.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.