Brook Floater vs Merlin

Alasmidonta varicosa compared with Falco columbarius

Key Differences

• Brook Floater is Vulnerable while Merlin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brook Floater	Merlin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Unionida (Unionida)	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
Family	Unionidae	Falconidae
Genus	Alasmidonta	Falco
Species	Alasmidonta varicosa	Falco columbarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Brook Floater and Merlin share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Brook Floater

VU — Vulnerable

Merlin

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brook Floater	Merlin
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brook Floater

Habitat

Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Merlin

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Brook Floater

The Brook Floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) is a species in the genus Alasmidonta. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Merlin

Merlin (Falco columbarius) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States