🦅 Peregrine falcon vs Secretarybird 🦅
The secretarybird is about twice as tall as the peregrine falcon. The secretarybird weighs about 3 times as much as the peregrine falcon.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦅 Peregrine falcon | 🦅 Secretarybird |
|---|---|---|
| Size The secretarybird is about twice as tall as the peregrine falcon. | 14 to 23 in36 to 58 cm1 | 35 in to 3.9 ft90 cm to 1.2 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the secretarybird yet. | 200 mph322 km/h3 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The secretarybird weighs about 3 times as much as the peregrine falcon. | 1.1 to 3.1 lb500 g to 1.4 kg1 | 5.1 to 9.4 lb2.3 to 4.3 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 20 years20 years1 | 19 years19 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | other birds, such as pigeons and ducks | insects and small mammals, and sometimes birds, eggs, frogs, lizards and snakes |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings | open savanna, grassland and scrub across Africa south of the Sahara |
Which one? Peregrine falcon or secretarybird
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the secretarybird 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 Peregrine falcon vs Secretarybird
- The peregrine falcon: The fastest animal in the world when it dives from the sky.
- The secretarybird: A tall African bird of prey that walks a long way each day.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are birds.
- The secretarybird is about twice as tall as the peregrine falcon: 2 against 1.
- The secretarybird weighs about 3 times as much as the peregrine falcon. That is 1 for the peregrine falcon and 2 for the secretarybird.
- They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the peregrine falcon and 2 for the secretarybird.
- Both eat meat. The peregrine falcon eats other birds, such as pigeons and ducks; the secretarybird eats insects and small mammals, and sometimes birds, eggs, frogs, lizards and snakes.
- The peregrine falcon lives in every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings. The secretarybird lives in open savanna, grassland and scrub across Africa south of the Sahara. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The peregrine falcon: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
- The secretarybird: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 5
Wow facts
🦅 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.
🦅 Secretarybird
- A secretarybird walks a long way on foot each day.
- It has very long legs for a bird of prey.
- It can fly well, too.
Questions kids ask about Peregrine falcon and Secretarybird
Which is bigger, peregrine falcon or secretarybird?
The secretarybird is about twice as tall as the peregrine falcon: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, peregrine falcon or secretarybird?
The secretarybird weighs about 3 times as much as the peregrine falcon. That is 1 for the peregrine falcon and 2 for the secretarybird.
Which lives longer, peregrine falcon or secretarybird?
They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the peregrine falcon and 2 for the secretarybird.
What do peregrine falcon and secretarybird eat?
Both eat meat. The peregrine falcon eats other birds, such as pigeons and ducks; the secretarybird eats insects and small mammals, and sometimes birds, eggs, frogs, lizards and snakes.
Where do peregrine falcon and secretarybird live?
The peregrine falcon lives in every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings. The secretarybird lives in open savanna, grassland and scrub across Africa south of the Sahara. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, peregrine falcon or secretarybird?
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/peregrine-falcon-vs-secretarybird
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Sagittarius serpentarius (secretarybird), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Denali and Yukon-Charley Rivers, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.