Austrian Gymnadenia vs Buckelwal

Gymnadenia stiriaca compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

Austrian Gymnadenia is Endangered while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Austrian Gymnadenia	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Orchidaceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Gymnadenia	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Gymnadenia stiriaca	Megaptera novaeangliae

Conservation Status

Austrian Gymnadenia

EN — Endangered

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Austrian Gymnadenia	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Austrian Gymnadenia

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

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.

Austrian Gymnadenia

The Austrian Gymnadenia (Gymnadenia stiriaca) is a species in the genus Gymnadenia. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

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.