Eurasian Sparrowhawk vs Stoat, Ermine

Accipiter nisus compared with Mustela erminea

Key Differences

• Eurasian Sparrowhawk is Least Concern while Stoat, Ermine is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	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 nisus	Mustela erminea

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

LC — Least Concern

Stoat, Ermine

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Stoat, Ermine
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.

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 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.

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 5 countries:

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