Eurasian beaver vs King/Common Eider

Castor fiber compared with Somateria spectabilis

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while King/Common Eider is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	King/Common Eider
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Anatidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Somateria
Species	Castor fiber	Somateria spectabilis

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and King/Common Eider share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

King/Common Eider

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	King/Common Eider
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

King/Common Eider

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Eurasian beaver

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden