Gray-backed Tern vs Hector’s Beaked Whale

Onychoprion lunatus compared with Mesoplodon hectori

Key Differences

• Gray-backed Tern is Least Concern while Hector’s Beaked Whale is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gray-backed Tern	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Laridae	Hyperoodontidae
Genus	Onychoprion	Mesoplodon
Species	Onychoprion lunatus	Mesoplodon hectori

Evolutionary Relationship

Gray-backed Tern and Hector’s Beaked Whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Gray-backed Tern

LC — Least Concern

Hector’s Beaked Whale

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gray-backed Tern	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gray-backed Tern

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

Hector’s Beaked Whale

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.