Big Finner vs Emerald Spreadwing

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Lestes dryas

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	Emerald 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 dryas

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	Emerald 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.

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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