Irrawaddy dolphin vs Royal Tern

Orcaella brevirostris compared with Thalasseus maximus

Key Differences

• Irrawaddy dolphin is Endangered while Royal Tern is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Irrawaddy dolphin	Royal Tern
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Laridae
Genus	Orcaella	Thalasseus
Species	Orcaella brevirostris	Thalasseus maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Irrawaddy dolphin and Royal Tern share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Irrawaddy dolphin

EN — Endangered

Royal Tern

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Irrawaddy dolphin	Royal Tern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Irrawaddy dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Royal Tern

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, Sweden, and Venezuela.

Royal Tern

Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) 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.