Broad-Bordered White Underwing vs Common Tern

Anarta melanopa compared with Sterna hirundo

Key Differences

• Broad-Bordered White Underwing is Least Concern while Common Tern is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad-Bordered White Underwing	Common Tern
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family	Noctuidae	Laridae
Genus	Anarta	Sterna
Species	Anarta melanopa	Sterna hirundo

Evolutionary Relationship

Broad-Bordered White Underwing and Common Tern share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

LC — Least Concern

Common Tern

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad-Bordered White Underwing	Common Tern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.

Broad-Bordered White Underwing

The Broad-Bordered White Underwing (Anarta melanopa) is a species in the genus Anarta. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden