🦅 Northern goshawk vs Peregrine falcon 🦅
The northern goshawk is a bit bigger than the peregrine falcon. They are about the same.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦅 Northern goshawk | 🦅 Peregrine falcon |
|---|---|---|
| Size The northern goshawk is a bit bigger than the peregrine falcon. | 22 to 24 in55 to 61 cm1 | 14 to 23 in36 to 58 cm2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the northern goshawk yet. | no checked number yet | 200 mph322 km/h3 |
| Weight They are about the same. | 1.4 to 3 lb630 g to 1.4 kg1 | 1.1 to 3.1 lb500 g to 1.4 kg2 |
| Lives The peregrine falcon usually lives about twice as long as the northern goshawk. | 11 years11 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | birds, mammals, reptiles and insects | other birds, such as pigeons and ducks |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | mountain and lowland forests across North America and Eurasia | every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings |
Which one? Northern goshawk or peregrine falcon
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the northern goshawk 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 Northern goshawk vs Peregrine falcon
- The northern goshawk: A forest hawk with a long tail and broad wings.
- The peregrine falcon: The fastest animal in the world when it dives from the sky.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are birds.
- The northern goshawk is a bit bigger than the peregrine falcon: 1 against 2.
- They are about the same. That is 1 for the northern goshawk and 2 for the peregrine falcon.
- The peregrine falcon usually lives about twice as long as the northern goshawk. Usual lifespans: 1 for the northern goshawk and 2 for the peregrine falcon.
- Both eat meat. The northern goshawk eats birds, mammals, reptiles and insects; the peregrine falcon eats other birds, such as pigeons and ducks.
- The northern goshawk lives in mountain and lowland forests across North America and Eurasia. The peregrine falcon lives in every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The northern goshawk: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
- The peregrine falcon: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 5
Wow facts
🦅 Northern goshawk
- A northern goshawk lives in forests in North America and Eurasia.
- Some move to warmer places in winter.
- Females are a little bigger than males.
🦅 Peregrine falcon
- Its dive is called a stoop.
- A clear extra eyelid wipes its eyes clean as it dives.
- Peregrines nest on skyscraper ledges, which look like cliffs to them.
Questions kids ask about Northern goshawk and Peregrine falcon
Which is bigger, northern goshawk or peregrine falcon?
The northern goshawk is a bit bigger than the peregrine falcon: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, northern goshawk or peregrine falcon?
They are about the same. That is 1 for the northern goshawk and 2 for the peregrine falcon.
Which lives longer, northern goshawk or peregrine falcon?
The peregrine falcon usually lives about twice as long as the northern goshawk. Usual lifespans: 1 for the northern goshawk and 2 for the peregrine falcon.
What do northern goshawk and peregrine falcon eat?
Both eat meat. The northern goshawk eats birds, mammals, reptiles and insects; the peregrine falcon eats other birds, such as pigeons and ducks.
Where do northern goshawk and peregrine falcon live?
The northern goshawk lives in mountain and lowland forests across North America and Eurasia. The peregrine falcon lives in every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, northern goshawk or peregrine falcon?
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/northern-goshawk-vs-peregrine-falcon
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Accipiter gentilis (northern goshawk), checked 10 November 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Denali and Yukon-Charley Rivers, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.