Hoary fox vs Merlin

Lycalopex vetulus compared with Falco columbarius

Key Differences

• Hoary fox is Near Threatened while Merlin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hoary fox	Merlin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Falconidae
Genus	Lycalopex	Falco
Species	Lycalopex vetulus	Falco columbarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Hoary fox and Merlin share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Hoary fox

NT — Near Threatened

Merlin

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hoary fox	Merlin
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hoary fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Merlin

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).

Merlin

Merlin (Falco columbarius) 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.