Brown-backed Needletail vs Emperor Penguin

Hirundapus giganteus compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

• Brown-backed Needletail is Least Concern while Emperor Penguin is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown-backed Needletail	Emperor Penguin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family	Apodidae	Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus	Hirundapus	Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species	Hirundapus giganteus	Aptenodytes forsteri

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown-backed Needletail and Emperor Penguin share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Brown-backed Needletail

LC — Least Concern

Emperor Penguin

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown-backed Needletail	Emperor Penguin
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.1 m
Average Weight	—	40.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown-backed Needletail

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

Emperor Penguin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Brown-backed Needletail

The Brown-Backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) is a species in the genus Hirundapus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Emperor Penguin

The world's largest penguin, emperor penguins stand up to 1.2 meters and weigh 45 kg, inhabiting the Antarctic continent in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. They breed in midwinter darkness at temperatures below -60°C, with males incubating single eggs on their feet under a brood pouch for 65 days while females are at sea. Their huddling behavior — cycling individuals through the warm center of thousands-strong groups — is a masterclass in cooperative survival.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway