Big Free-tailed Bat vs Common Tern

Nyctinomops macrotis compared with Sterna hirundo

Key Differences

• Big Free-tailed Bat is Least Concern while Common Tern is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Free-tailed Bat	Common Tern
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family	Molossidae	Laridae
Genus	Nyctinomops	Sterna
Species	Nyctinomops macrotis	Sterna hirundo

Evolutionary Relationship

Big Free-tailed Bat and Common Tern share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Big Free-tailed Bat

LC — Least Concern

Common Tern

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Free-tailed Bat	Common Tern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big Free-tailed Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Common Tern

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Big Free-tailed Bat

The Big Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) is a species in the genus Nyctinomops. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Tern

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 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 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇻🇪 Venezuela