Supported Fe-Ni catalysts have been reported for their activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of unsaturated organic molecules. However, the control of the size and composition of the bimetallic nanoparticles remains a bottleneck when oxide-supported catalysts are prepared by impregnation, and alternative procedures should be investigated. Starting with Ni(II) and Fe(II) sulfates as precursor salts, deposition-precipitation with urea (DPU) on SiO2 in an inert atmosphere initially leads to the formation of an ill-crystallized Fe-containing Ni (II) 1:1 phyllosilicate, which reduces under hydrogen at 700 degrees C into bimetallic fcc Fe-Ni nanoparticles of 5.4 nm in average. Compared with the composition of the DPU solution (50 Fe at %, 50 Ni at %), an excess of Ni is detected on the catalyst (38 Fe at %, 62 Ni at %), due to the preferential reaction of Ni2+ ions with silica. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy show that the reduction of Fe ions to the metallic state is triggered by the formation of reduced Ni centers above 350 degrees C, and, from then, proceeds progressively, resulting in an excess of Fe in the outer shells of the bimetallic particles. The composition of individual Fe-Ni particles evidences a standard deviation of 8%. The bimetallic Fe-Ni/SiO2 catalyst gives high yields in furfuryl alcohol in the hydrogenation of furfural, in contrast with an analog Ni/SiO2 catalyst that favours side-reactions of etherification, hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation of the furan ring.