Eurasian Sparrowhawk vs Mourning Cloak

Accipiter nisus compared with Nymphalis antiopa

Key Differences

• Eurasian Sparrowhawk is Least Concern while Mourning Cloak is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Mourning Cloak
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Accipiter	Nymphalis
Species	Accipiter nisus	Nymphalis antiopa

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Mourning Cloak share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

LC — Least Concern

Mourning Cloak

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Mourning Cloak
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Habitat

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

Range

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

Mourning Cloak

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) 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.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

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