Eurasian Goshawk vs Stoat, Ermine

Accipiter gentilis compared with Mustela erminea

Key Differences

• Eurasian Goshawk is Near Threatened while Stoat, Ermine is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian Goshawk	Stoat, Ermine
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Accipiter	Mustela
Species	Accipiter gentilis	Mustela erminea

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian Goshawk and Stoat, Ermine share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian Goshawk

NT — Near Threatened

Stoat, Ermine

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian Goshawk	Stoat, Ermine
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Stoat, Ermine

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Indonesia), Europe (6 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Stoat, Ermine

Stoat, Ermine (Mustela erminea) 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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States