Broad-winged Hawk vs Common Seal

Buteo platypterus compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

• Broad-winged Hawk is Least Concern while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad-winged Hawk	Common Seal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Buteo	Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species	Buteo platypterus	Phoca vitulina

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Broad-winged Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad-winged Hawk	Common Seal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

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 Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States