Chinese Crested Tern vs Epaulard

Thalasseus bernsteini compared with Orcinus orca

Key Differences

• Chinese Crested Tern is Critically Endangered while Epaulard is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chinese Crested Tern	Epaulard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Laridae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Thalasseus	Orcinus (Orcas)
Species	Thalasseus bernsteini	Orcinus orca

Evolutionary Relationship

Chinese Crested Tern and Epaulard share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Chinese Crested Tern

CR — Critically Endangered

Epaulard

DD — Data Deficient

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Unknown ?

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chinese Crested Tern	Epaulard
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	8.0 m
Average Weight	—	5.4 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chinese Crested Tern

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Epaulard

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Chinese Crested Tern

The Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini) is a species in the genus Thalasseus. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Epaulard

The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas reach up to 9 meters and 6 tonnes and are found in every ocean from Arctic to Antarctic. Apex predators living in matrilineal pods with distinct dialects, hunting strategies, and cultural traditions that differ between populations. Some populations specialize in fish, others in marine mammals. No natural predators; orcas sit at the top of every marine food chain they inhabit.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇹🇼 Taiwan