Common Spreadwing vs Eurasian Goshawk

Lestes sponsa compared with Accipiter gentilis

Key Differences

• Common Spreadwing is Least Concern while Eurasian Goshawk is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spreadwing	Eurasian Goshawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Lestidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Lestes	Accipiter
Species	Lestes sponsa	Accipiter gentilis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Spreadwing and Eurasian Goshawk share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Eurasian Goshawk

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spreadwing	Eurasian Goshawk
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Eurasian Goshawk

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) 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.

Eurasian Goshawk

Eurasian Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden