Brown Pelican vs Canadian beaver

Pelecanus occidentalis compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Brown Pelican is Least Concern while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Pelican	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Pelecanidae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Pelecanus	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Pelecanus occidentalis	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Pelican and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Brown Pelican

LC — Least Concern

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Pelican	Canadian beaver
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Pelican

Habitat

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

Range

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

Canadian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 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.

Canadian beaver

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States