Falcon or hawk?
How to tell them apart
Falcons kill with a tooth-like notch on the beak and have long, pointed wings. Hawks kill with their talons and usually have broader wings.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous.
| Question | Falcon | 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? | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Falcon | Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Grassland, Mountains, Coast, Towns | Forest, Grassland, Farmland |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Length differs | 15–24 cm (Seychelles kestrel) to 65 cm (gyrfalcon) | – |
| Weight differs | About 840–910 g (peregrine falcon, average) | – |
| Legs | 2 | 2 |
| Covered in | Feathers | Feathers |
| Lives differs | In pairs | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 12–15 years | 12–20 years |
| Can fly | Yes | Yes |
| Swims | No | No |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Falcon
About 40 species of fast birds of prey with thin, tapered wings, found on every continent except Antarctica. Unlike hawks and eagles, which kill with their talons, falcons kill with a notch on the side of the beak.
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.