Bermuda Saw-whet Owl vs Fly Agaric

Aegolius gradyi compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

Bermuda Saw-whet Owl is Extinct while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bermuda Saw-whet Owl	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Strigiformes (Owls)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Strigidae (True Owls)	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Aegolius	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Aegolius gradyi	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Bermuda Saw-whet Owl

EX — Extinct

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bermuda Saw-whet Owl	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bermuda Saw-whet Owl

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Bermuda Saw-whet Owl

The Bermuda Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius gradyi) is a species in the genus Aegolius. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.