🦉 Great horned owl vs Osprey 🦅
The great horned owl and the osprey are about the same size. The osprey is a bit heavier than the great horned owl.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦉 Great horned owl | 🦅 Osprey |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 18 to 25 in46 to 63 cm1 | 22 to 23 in55 to 58 cm2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The osprey is a bit heavier than the great horned owl. | 2.2 to 3.8 lb998 g to 1.7 kg3 | 2.6 to 4.4 lb1.2 to 2 kg2 |
| Lives The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the great horned owl. | 13 to 15 years13 to 15 years3 | 25 years25 years2 |
| Eats The great horned owl eats meat; the osprey eats fish. | mice, rabbits, birds and even skunks | almost only fish |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | forests, deserts and towns across North America and into South America | shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world |
Which one? Great horned owl or osprey
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the great horned owl or the osprey yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about Great horned owl vs Osprey
- The great horned owl: Its "horns" are just feathers, and it can turn its head far around.
- The osprey: A fish-eating bird of prey that lives near water around the world.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are birds.
- The great horned owl and the osprey are about the same size: 2 against 1.
- The osprey is a bit heavier than the great horned owl. That is 3 for the great horned owl and 2 for the osprey.
- The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the great horned owl. Usual lifespans: 3 for the great horned owl and 2 for the osprey.
- The great horned owl eats mice, rabbits, birds and even skunks. The osprey eats almost only fish.
- The great horned owl lives in forests, deserts and towns across North America and into South America. The osprey lives in shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The great horned owl: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
- The osprey: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 5
Wow facts
🦉 Great horned owl
- Its wings make almost no sound.
- It coughs up a pellet of fur and bones after a meal.
- It often nests in an old nest that a hawk or crow built.
🦅 Osprey
- An osprey eats almost only fish.
- It lives near water almost everywhere in the world.
- Its wings are wider than a grown-up is tall.
Questions kids ask about Great horned owl and Osprey
Which is bigger, great horned owl or osprey?
The great horned owl and the osprey are about the same size: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, great horned owl or osprey?
The osprey is a bit heavier than the great horned owl. That is 3 for the great horned owl and 2 for the osprey.
Which lives longer, great horned owl or osprey?
The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the great horned owl. Usual lifespans: 3 for the great horned owl and 2 for the osprey.
What do great horned owl and osprey eat?
The great horned owl eats mice, rabbits, birds and even skunks. The osprey eats almost only fish.
Where do great horned owl and osprey live?
The great horned owl lives in forests, deserts and towns across North America and into South America. The osprey lives in shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, great horned owl or osprey?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/great-horned-owl-vs-osprey
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Bryce Canyon, checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Pandion haliaetus (osprey), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Golden Spike, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.