Merlin vs small tortoiseshell

Falco columbarius compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Merlin is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Merlin	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Falconidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Falco	Aglais
Species	Falco columbarius	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Merlin

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Merlin	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

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.

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.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden