Broad-tailed Shadowdragon vs Gray/Purple Heron

Neurocordulia michaeli compared with Ardea cinerea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad-tailed Shadowdragon	Gray/Purple Heron
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
Family	Corduliidae	Ardeidae
Genus	Neurocordulia	Ardea
Species	Neurocordulia michaeli	Ardea cinerea

Evolutionary Relationship

Broad-tailed Shadowdragon and Gray/Purple Heron share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Broad-tailed Shadowdragon

LC — Least Concern

Gray/Purple Heron

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad-tailed Shadowdragon	Gray/Purple Heron
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	95 cm
Average Weight	—	1.5 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad-tailed Shadowdragon

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Gray/Purple Heron

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Broad-tailed Shadowdragon

The Broad-Tailed Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia michaeli) is a species in the genus Neurocordulia. 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.