Big Finner vs star-thistle

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Centaurea calcitrapa

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while star-thistle is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	star-thistle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Centaurea
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Centaurea calcitrapa

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

star-thistle

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	star-thistle
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.

star-thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (India, Japan), Europe (18 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden