Canadian beaver vs Short-billed Dowitcher

Castor canadensis compared with Limnodromus griseus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Short-billed Dowitcher is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Short-billed Dowitcher
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Scolopacidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Limnodromus
Species	Castor canadensis	Limnodromus griseus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Short-billed Dowitcher share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Short-billed Dowitcher

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Short-billed Dowitcher
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	25.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

Short-billed Dowitcher

Habitat

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

Range

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

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.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 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 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States