Auckland shag vs blue whale

Leucocarbo colensoi compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Auckland shag	blue whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Phalacrocoracidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Leucocarbo	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Leucocarbo colensoi	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Auckland shag and blue whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Auckland shag

VU — Vulnerable

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Auckland shag	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Auckland shag

Habitat

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

blue whale

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 (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Auckland shag

The Auckland shag (Leucocarbo colensoi) is a species in the genus Leucocarbo. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

blue whale

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.