Great Bittern vs Red-billed Duck

Botaurus stellaris compared with Anas erythrorhyncha

Key Differences

• Great Bittern is Critically Endangered while Red-billed Duck is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Bittern	Red-billed Duck
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Ardeidae	Anatidae
Genus	Botaurus	Anas
Species	Botaurus stellaris	Anas erythrorhyncha

Evolutionary Relationship

Great Bittern and Red-billed Duck share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Great Bittern

CR — Critically Endangered

Red-billed Duck

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Bittern	Red-billed Duck
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Great Bittern

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Red-billed Duck

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and South America (Ecuador).

Great Bittern

Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Red-billed Duck

Red-billed Duck (Anas erythrorhyncha) 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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway