Hawks vs. Falcons: What’s The Difference?

No one can mistake the bold appearance of a bald eagle or the hunched figure of a vulture. They are two iconic types of raptor—or birds of prey—characterized by their sharp talons, hooked bills, and keen vision.

Hawks and falcons are also raptors. Some of the most common species include red-tailed hawks, goshawks, and peregrine falcons. But unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of birds, they can be a little hard to tell apart.

The features of a bird are especially difficult to make out when squinting into the sun from a distance. But a raptor’s silhouette might give you some clues.

If the bird in flight appears to have finger-shaped feathers sticking out from the end of its wings, it is most likely a hawk. Hawks have wings that are rounded and broad, and the birds have a wide wingspan ending in those finger-like feathers. Falcon wings have a sleeker, more clean-cut shape that tapers to a point at the wingtip. In flight, hawks may use their broad wings to soar and fly smoothly with a minimum of flaps, while falcons can appear very fast and agile and display a tendency to hover in one spot.

If you’re lucky enough to spot a raptor close up, take a good look at its eye color. Falcons will always have dark-colored or brown eyes, while the eye color of a hawk can range from hazel to bright yellow to a rather menacing red.

Size is also an indicator of their difference: the size of a hawk ranges from medium to large, while falcons are generally on the smaller side. Curiously, for all raptor species, the female is larger than the male—a phenomenon known as sexual dimorphism.

There’s even a difference in how hawks and falcons kill their prey. Both use their talons to catch a meal, but studies find that falcons have a preference for killing with their beaks. Up close, you can see that falcons have an extra point in their beaks known as a tomial tooth, which help them sever the necks of prey.