Rook vs small tortoiseshell

Corvus frugilegus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Rook	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Corvidae (Crows & Ravens)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Corvus (Crows & Ravens)	Aglais
Species	Corvus frugilegus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Rook

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Rook

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

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.

Rook

Rook (Corvus frugilegus) 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