Emerald Spreadwing vs Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

Lestes dryas compared with Ardea herodias

Key Differences

Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable while Great Blue/Cocoi Heron is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Emerald Spreadwing	Great Blue/Cocoi Heron
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
Family	Lestidae	Ardeidae
Genus	Lestes	Ardea
Species	Lestes dryas	Ardea herodias

Evolutionary Relationship

Emerald Spreadwing and Great Blue/Cocoi Heron share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Emerald Spreadwing	Great Blue/Cocoi Heron
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron (Ardea herodias) 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.