Black Thistle vs Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cirsium vulgare compared with Accipiter striatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Black Thistle Sharp-shinned Hawk
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Aves (Birds)
Order Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers) Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family Asteraceae (Daisy Family) Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus Cirsium Accipiter
Species Cirsium vulgare Accipiter striatus

Conservation Status

Black Thistle

LC — Least Concern

Sharp-shinned Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Black Thistle Sharp-shinned Hawk
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (8 countries), Asia (Israel, Japan, Taiwan), Europe (12 countries), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (7 countries).

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, United States, and Venezuela.

Black Thistle

The Black Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) is a species in the genus Cirsium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic an, found across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, and more.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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