🦅 Osprey vs Red fox 🦊
The red fox is about twice as long as the osprey. The red fox weighs about 3 times as much as the osprey.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦅 Osprey | 🦊 Red fox |
|---|---|---|
| Size The red fox is about twice as long as the osprey. | 22 to 23 in55 to 58 cm1 | 3.6 ft1.1 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The red fox weighs about 3 times as much as the osprey. | 2.6 to 4.4 lb1.2 to 2 kg1 | 9 to 11 lb4.1 to 5 kg3 |
| Lives The osprey usually lives about 7 times as long as the red fox. | 25 years25 years1 | 3 to 4 years3 to 4 years4 |
| Eats The osprey eats fish; the red fox eats plants and animals. | almost only fish | mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world | most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks |
Which one? Osprey or red fox
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the osprey or the red fox 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 Osprey vs Red fox
- The osprey: A fish-eating bird of prey that lives near water around the world.
- The red fox: A red fox can hear a mouse squeaking under deep snow.
- They are different kinds of animal. The osprey is a bird, so it has feathers and lays eggs; the red fox is a mammal, so it breathes air with lungs and feeds its babies milk.
- The red fox is about twice as long as the osprey: 2 against 1.
- The red fox weighs about 3 times as much as the osprey. That is 1 for the osprey and 3 for the red fox.
- The osprey usually lives about 7 times as long as the red fox. Usual lifespans: 1 for the osprey and 4 for the red fox.
- The osprey eats almost only fish. The red fox eats mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries.
- The osprey lives in shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world. The red fox lives in most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The osprey: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 5
- The red fox: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 6
Wow facts
🦅 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.
🦊 Red fox
- A red fox has pupils shaped like slits, like a cat's.
- Red fox kits are born with brownish-gray fur, and the red coat comes later.
- Red foxes live in cities, forests, farms and even deserts.
Questions kids ask about Osprey and Red fox
Which is heavier, osprey or red fox?
The red fox weighs about 3 times as much as the osprey. That is 1 for the osprey and 3 for the red fox.
Which lives longer, osprey or red fox?
The osprey usually lives about 7 times as long as the red fox. Usual lifespans: 1 for the osprey and 4 for the red fox.
What do osprey and red fox eat?
The osprey eats almost only fish. The red fox eats mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries.
Where do osprey and red fox live?
The osprey lives in shallow water with plenty of fish, in many parts of the world. The red fox lives in most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, osprey or red fox?
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/osprey-vs-red-fox
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Pandion haliaetus (osprey), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service (The Clever Red Fox), checked 30 October 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.