Common Eider vs Hooded seal

Somateria mollissima compared with Cystophora cristata

Key Differences

• Common Eider is Near Threatened while Hooded seal is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Eider	Hooded seal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Anatidae	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Somateria	Cystophora
Species	Somateria mollissima	Cystophora cristata

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Eider and Hooded seal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Common Eider

NT — Near Threatened

Hooded seal

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Eider	Hooded seal
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Eider

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Hooded seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Common Eider

Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway