Eurasian beaver vs Least Bittern

Castor fiber compared with Ixobrychus exilis

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Least Bittern is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Least Bittern
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Ardeidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Ixobrychus
Species	Castor fiber	Ixobrychus exilis

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Least Bittern share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Least Bittern

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Least Bittern
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.

Least Bittern

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, United States, and Venezuela.

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.

Least Bittern

Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway