Daurian Ground Squirrel vs Duck Hawk

Spermophilus dauricus compared with Falco peregrinus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Daurian Ground Squirrel	Duck Hawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Falconidae
Genus	Spermophilus	Falco
Species	Spermophilus dauricus	Falco peregrinus

Evolutionary Relationship

Daurian Ground Squirrel and Duck Hawk share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Daurian Ground Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Duck Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~140.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Daurian Ground Squirrel	Duck Hawk
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	48 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Daurian Ground Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Duck Hawk

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Duck Hawk

The fastest animal on the planet, peregrine falcons achieve aerial dive speeds exceeding 320 km/h when stooping on prey, stunning or killing birds in flight with a blow from their feet. Found on every continent except Antarctica in diverse habitats from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforest. Nearly extinct in North America and Europe from DDT poisoning in the 1960s–70s, peregrines recovered dramatically following pesticide bans and successful urban nesting programs.