Fierce Orbweaver vs Long-tailed Sylph

Araneus saevus compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• Fierce Orbweaver is Near Threatened while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fierce Orbweaver	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Araneae (Araneae)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Araneidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Araneus	Aglaiocercus
Species	Araneus saevus	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Fierce Orbweaver and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Fierce Orbweaver

NT — Near Threatened

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fierce Orbweaver	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fierce Orbweaver

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway