Black-shouldered Kite vs European hare

Elanus caeruleus compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• Black-shouldered Kite is Least Concern while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Kite	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Elanus	Lepus
Species	Elanus caeruleus	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-shouldered Kite and European hare share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Kite

LC — Least Concern

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Kite	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-shouldered Kite

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

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

European hare

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), North America (4 countries), and South America (8 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Black-shouldered Kite

The Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a species in the genus Elanus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

European hare

European hare (Lepus europaeus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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