Big Finner vs Common Spreadwing

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Lestes sponsa

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while Common Spreadwing is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	Common Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Lestidae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Lestes
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Lestes sponsa

Evolutionary Relationship

Big Finner and Common Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	Common Spreadwing
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big Finner

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

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

Common Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Big Finner

Big Finner (Balaenoptera physalus) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Common Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden