Great Blue/Cocoi Heron vs Splendid Waxcap

Ardea herodias compared with Hygrocybe splendidissima

Key Differences

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron is Least Concern while Splendid Waxcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Blue/Cocoi Heron	Splendid Waxcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Ardeidae	Hygrophoraceae
Genus	Ardea	Hygrocybe
Species	Ardea herodias	Hygrocybe splendidissima

Conservation Status

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

LC — Least Concern

Splendid Waxcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Blue/Cocoi Heron	Splendid Waxcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Splendid Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

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

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

Great Blue/Cocoi Heron (Ardea herodias) 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.