Beard Lichen vs Buckelwal

Usnea subscabrosa compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beard Lichen	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Usnea	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Usnea subscabrosa	Megaptera novaeangliae

Conservation Status

Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beard Lichen	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beard Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and United States.

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.

Beard Lichen

The Beard Lichen (Usnea subscabrosa) is a species in the genus Usnea. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.