Falcon vs. Eagle

The key difference between falcon and eagle is their size. They may also differ in their appearance (body structure and colour).

The falcon is birds of prey with long wings and a strong angular beak while the eagle is a large carnivore bird, they are famous for their larger size, dominant build, and a heavier head.

Falcon is the bird of prey which belongs to the Falconidae family; on the other hand, eagles are the largest birds of prey which belong to the Accipitrid family. Moreover, both eagle and falcon belong to the same Falconiformes order.

Falcons are available in all continents of the world except Antarctica, and the scientific name for falcon is Falco. However, the category of a falcon is Genus which includes about 40 species.

There are more than 60 species of eagle, and most species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Moreover, 14 species may found in North America, 9 in central and South America and three from Australia.

Comparison Chart      

Basis Falcon Eagle
Family A falcon is a raptor which belongs to the Falconidae family An eagle is a raptor which belongs to the Accipitridae family
Order Falcon belongs to the Falconiformes Eagle belongs to the Falconiformes
Species Falcon has more than 30 species It has more than 60 species
Colour Mostly they are black, white, red and silver Golden, blackish-grey, brown, etc
Aggressive They are not aggressive by nature They are more aggressive by nature
Prey Small birds, for example, pigeons and dove Fish, snakes, medium-size vertebrate, ground mammals, birds
Eye color Black and dark brown It has different eye colours
Size Medium-sized Larger in size

What is Falcon?

Falcons have a slim body which is comparatively less strong than eagles. They have long and pointed wings with a strong angular beak that has a notch and which helps the falcon to break the prey’s neck easily. They have black and dark brown eyes.

Falcons are very pleasant by nature, and they are not aggressive. They dive and hit the prey abruptly by giving the prey a surprise.

There are more than 30 species of Falcon which are available in North-America, Europe, and Asia. Falcon species are classified as vulnerable or endangered.

Facts of Falcon

Some falcon facts are discussed below

  • The height of falcon may vary from 9 to 19 inches and 1.5 to 2.6 pounds of weight.
  • Most species of falcon are dark brown or maybe grey-colored with yellow, white and black spots on their bodies.
  • Falcons have pointed wings and strong talons.
  • They are less aggressive.
  • Falcon can reach a speed of 200 miles per hour.
  • Falcon is a solitary bird, it can spend entire life in the same era, or it can migrate up to 15.000 miles per year.
  • Mating of Falcons takes place during the spring season.
  • Falcon has a lifespan of around 15 years.

What is Eagle?

Eagles belong to the Accipitridae family, and they are more aggressive by nature. They are known as the larger birds as compared to other birds of prey. In order to kill the prey, first, they catch their prey, then grab it, and crush it with their talons. The talons of eagles are stronger than the falcons, and they have a broad-chest body with broad and rounded wings and different eye colours.

Eagles are classified into four groups, sea eagle, booted eagles, snake eagles, and giant forest eagles. Booted eagle has a wide variety of diet which includes birds, small mammals, rodents, amphibians, and insects, sea eagle feed on a diet of fish, while snake eagle feed on a diet of reptiles, and giant forest eagles mostly feed on various forests animals. However, the largest Harpy Eagle feeds on larger animals which include monkeys, sloths or coatis.

Facts of Eagle

Here are some interesting facts of an eagle

  • The word eagle was derived from the Latin word Aquila, which means dark-colored.
  • The eye vision of an eagle is 4-5 times sharper than the human; moreover, they can see the ultraviolet light.
  • Eagles vary in sizes, the smallest eagle (the little eagle), is around 17.7-21.7 in (45-55 cm), on the other hand, Steller’s sea eagle is about 36-42 in (91-106cm) in size and wingspan is around 72-96 in (2-2.5 m).
  • As eagles are monogamous, so they mostly mate for life, they have strong site loyalty, so a mating pair reuses the same nest year after year.
  • The bald eagle has a white face and a brown body that is not actually bald- it has purely white feathers there, the term bald was applied at a time when it was commonly used to describe a white face.
  • Eagles can live in a place where they born for their whole lives until the food levels and temperature become too unfriendly for living.

Key Differences                   

  1. The key difference is that the falcon belongs to the Falconidae family while the eagle belongs to the Accipitridae family.
  2. Falcons have a slim body that is less strong than eagle whereas eagles have a broad-chest body with a strong and heavy built.
  3. Falcons have pointed wings and strong talons whereas eagles have broad and rounded wings and stronger talons than falcons.
  4. Falcons dive and hit the prey suddenly by surprising the prey while the eagle kills the prey by grabbing and crushing it with the talons.
  5. Falcons have a pleasant nature they are not aggressive whereas eagles are more aggressive.
  6. Falcons have more than 30 species on the other hand eagles have more than 60 species.
  7. Falcons have black or dark brown eyes whereas, eagles have different eye colours.

Comparison Video

Conclusion

However, both the eagle and falcons have different characteristics and structure. Eagles are large birds of prey with broad and rounded wings and a concave beak and they are known for their larger size, their eyesight is amazing as they can detect the prey up to two miles away. On the other hand, falcons are birds of prey with long and pointed wings and a strong angular beak. They have tomail tooth while eagles don’t have this.

Leave a Comment