Hooded seal vs Ruddy Duck

Cystophora cristata compared with Oxyura jamaicensis

Key Differences

• Hooded seal is Endangered while Ruddy Duck is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hooded seal	Ruddy Duck
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Anatidae
Genus	Cystophora	Oxyura
Species	Cystophora cristata	Oxyura jamaicensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Hooded seal and Ruddy Duck share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Hooded seal

EN — Endangered

Ruddy Duck

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hooded seal	Ruddy Duck
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hooded seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Ruddy Duck

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria, Tunisia), Asia (Azerbaijan, Israel, Turkey), Europe (19 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

Ruddy Duck

Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal