Common Black Hawk vs Common Fieldcap

Buteogallus anthracinus compared with Agrocybe pediades

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Black Hawk	Common Fieldcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Strophariaceae
Genus	Buteogallus	Agrocybe
Species	Buteogallus anthracinus	Agrocybe pediades

Conservation Status

Common Black Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Black Hawk	Common Fieldcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Black Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Common Black Hawk

The common black hawk (<em>Buteogallus anthracinus</em>) is a medium-sized raptor of the family Accipitridae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It inhabits aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments across its range, which includes Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and, notably, Norway, suggesting occasional vagrant or introduced occurrences outside its core Neotropical distribution. <em>Buteogallus anthracinus</em> is typically associated with riparian forests, mangroves, and wetland edges, where it hunts crabs, fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey along stream banks and shorelines. The bird is predominantly black with a broad white tail band, making it distinctive in the field. It often perches conspicuously on exposed branches near water, scanning for prey below. The species typically nests in tall trees near water, constructing large stick nests used across multiple breeding seasons. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Fieldcap

The Common Fieldcap (<em>Agrocybe pediades</em>) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Agrocybe within the family Strophariaceae. It typically produces small, tan to pale brown cap-shaped fruiting bodies and is often found growing in clusters or scattered on lawns, grassy areas, forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil-rich ecosystems. The species typically inhabits forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems, obtaining nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter. Its geographic range includes several European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — as well as the United States in North America. <em>Agrocybe pediades</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent stability. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on fruiting body size, lifespan, and ecological preferences, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Like other members of its genus, it typically fruits during warmer months and often appears after rainfall in nutrient-rich grassland and woodland habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway