Fly Agaric vs Ruddy Shelduck

Amanita muscaria compared with Tadorna ferruginea

Key Differences

Fly Agaric is Least Concern while Ruddy Shelduck is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Ruddy Shelduck
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Anatidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Tadorna
Species	Amanita muscaria	Tadorna ferruginea

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Ruddy Shelduck

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Ruddy Shelduck
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).

Ruddy Shelduck

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Israel, Taiwan), Europe (19 countries), and North America (United States).

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.

Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) is classified as Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List. Not yet evaluated against IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation status remains to be determined.