Black-winged Starling vs Red-crested Cardinal

Acridotheres melanopterus compared with Paroaria coronata

Key Differences

• Black-winged Starling is Endangered while Red-crested Cardinal is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-winged Starling	Red-crested Cardinal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Sturnidae	Thraupidae
Genus	Acridotheres	Paroaria
Species	Acridotheres melanopterus	Paroaria coronata

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-winged Starling and Red-crested Cardinal share a common ancestor at the Order level: Passeriformes. (Songbirds)

Conservation Status

Black-winged Starling

EN — Endangered

Red-crested Cardinal

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-winged Starling	Red-crested Cardinal
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-winged Starling

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Red-crested Cardinal

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru).

Black-winged Starling

The Black-winged Starling (Acridotheres melanopterus) is a species in the genus Acridotheres. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found in Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Red-crested Cardinal

A striking medium-sized bird with brilliant red crest, white face, and grey body native to South America from Bolivia and Brazil to Argentina, red-crested cardinals have been introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands, becoming iconic garden birds in Honolulu. They inhabit dense shrubs, grassland edges, and suburban gardens, foraging on seeds and small insects. Despite their name and superficial resemblance, they are not closely related to North American cardinals but belong to the tanager family.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway