Lesser Scaup vs small tortoiseshell

Aythya affinis compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Lesser Scaup is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Scaup	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Anatidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Aythya	Aglais
Species	Aythya affinis	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Scaup and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Lesser Scaup

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lesser Scaup	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lesser Scaup

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Lesser Scaup

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 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.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden