Antarctic Tern vs Buckelwal

Sterna vittata compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

• Antarctic Tern is Least Concern while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Antarctic Tern	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Laridae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Sterna	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Sterna vittata	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Antarctic Tern and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Antarctic Tern

LC — Least Concern

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Antarctic Tern	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Antarctic Tern

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Antarctic Tern

The Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata) is a species in the genus Sterna. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway