Broad-winged Hawk vs Common Globe-Thistle

Buteo platypterus compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Key Differences

• Broad-winged Hawk is Least Concern while Common Globe-Thistle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad-winged Hawk	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Tenrecidae
Genus	Buteo	Echinops
Species	Buteo platypterus	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Evolutionary Relationship

Broad-winged Hawk and Common Globe-Thistle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Broad-winged Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad-winged Hawk	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad-winged Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

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

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Broad-winged Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 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.

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States