Galapagos sea lion vs Gray-lined Hawk

Zalophus wollebaeki compared with Buteo nitidus

Key Differences

• Galapagos sea lion is Endangered while Gray-lined Hawk is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Galapagos sea lion	Gray-lined Hawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Otariidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Zalophus	Buteo
Species	Zalophus wollebaeki	Buteo nitidus

Evolutionary Relationship

Galapagos sea lion and Gray-lined Hawk share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Galapagos sea lion

EN — Endangered

Gray-lined Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Galapagos sea lion	Gray-lined Hawk
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Galapagos sea lion

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Gray-lined Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Gray-lined Hawk

Gray-lined Hawk (Buteo nitidus) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador