🦅 Gyrfalcon vs Osprey 🦅
The gyrfalcon and the osprey are about the same size. They are about the same.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦅 Gyrfalcon | 🦅 Osprey |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 21 to 22 in53 to 56 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 They are about the same. | 1.8 to 4.6 lb800 g to 2.1 kg1 | 2.6 to 4.4 lb1.2 to 2 kg2 |
| Lives The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the gyrfalcon. | 14 years14 years1 | 25 years25 years2 |
| Eats The gyrfalcon eats meat; the osprey eats fish. | ptarmigan, Arctic ground squirrels and Arctic hares, and other small mammals and birds | almost only fish |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | mostly Arctic tundra, far from the northern forests | shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world |
Which one? Gyrfalcon or osprey
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the gyrfalcon 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 Gyrfalcon vs Osprey
- The gyrfalcon: A big falcon that lives on the northern tundra.
- 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 gyrfalcon and the osprey are about the same size: 2 against 1.
- They are about the same. That is 1 for the gyrfalcon and 2 for the osprey.
- The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the gyrfalcon. Usual lifespans: 1 for the gyrfalcon and 2 for the osprey.
- The gyrfalcon eats ptarmigan, Arctic ground squirrels and Arctic hares, and other small mammals and birds. The osprey eats almost only fish.
- The gyrfalcon lives in mostly Arctic tundra, far from the northern forests. 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 gyrfalcon: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The osprey: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🦅 Gyrfalcon
- A gyrfalcon nests on the Arctic tundra.
- Female gyrfalcons are bigger than males.
- Most of its food is ptarmigan, a plump northern bird.
🦅 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 Gyrfalcon and Osprey
Which is bigger, gyrfalcon or osprey?
The gyrfalcon and the osprey are about the same size: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, gyrfalcon or osprey?
They are about the same. That is 1 for the gyrfalcon and 2 for the osprey.
Which lives longer, gyrfalcon or osprey?
The osprey usually lives about twice as long as the gyrfalcon. Usual lifespans: 1 for the gyrfalcon and 2 for the osprey.
What do gyrfalcon and osprey eat?
The gyrfalcon eats ptarmigan, Arctic ground squirrels and Arctic hares, and other small mammals and birds. The osprey eats almost only fish.
Where do gyrfalcon and osprey live?
The gyrfalcon lives in mostly Arctic tundra, far from the northern forests. 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, gyrfalcon 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/gyrfalcon-vs-osprey
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Falco rusticolus (gyrfalcon), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Pandion haliaetus (osprey), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.