Fly Agaric vs Gray Crowned-Crane

Amanita muscaria compared with Balearica regulorum

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Gray Crowned-Crane is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Gray Crowned-Crane
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Gruiformes (Gruiformes)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Gruidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Balearica
Species	Amanita muscaria	Balearica regulorum

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Gray Crowned-Crane

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Gray Crowned-Crane
Diet	Decomposer	—
Average Lifespan	1 years	—
Average Length	20 cm	—
Average Weight	100 g	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Gray Crowned-Crane

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Asia (United Arab Emirates) and Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.

Gray Crowned-Crane

Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.