Black-Based Cluster Fly vs Gray/Purple Heron

Pollenia labialis compared with Ardea cinerea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-Based Cluster Fly	Gray/Purple Heron
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
Family	Polleniidae	Ardeidae
Genus	Pollenia	Ardea
Species	Pollenia labialis	Ardea cinerea

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-Based Cluster Fly and Gray/Purple Heron share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Black-Based Cluster Fly

LC — Least Concern

Gray/Purple Heron

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-Based Cluster Fly	Gray/Purple Heron
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	95 cm
Average Weight	—	1.5 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-Based Cluster Fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Gray/Purple Heron

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Black-Based Cluster Fly

The Black-Based Cluster Fly (Pollenia labialis) is a species in the genus Pollenia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Gray/Purple Heron

A large, elegant wading bird reaching up to 1 meter in height, gray herons inhabit wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Patient, solitary hunters, they stand motionless for long periods before striking fish, frogs, and small mammals with lightning-fast dagger bill strikes. They nest colonially in tall trees in rookeries called heronries, sometimes shared with other colonial waterbirds. Widely distributed and of Least Concern globally.