Assyrian plum vs Buckelwal

Cordia myxa compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

Assyrian plum is Least Concern while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Assyrian plum	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Cordiaceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Cordia	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Cordia myxa	Megaptera novaeangliae

Conservation Status

Assyrian plum

LC — Least Concern

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Assyrian plum	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Assyrian plum

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Burkina Faso, Guinea), Asia (Cyprus, Turkey), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Assyrian plum

The Assyrian plum (Cordia myxa) is a species in the genus Cordia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic rea. Widely distributed across Africa (Burkina Faso, Guinea), Asia (Cyprus, Turkey), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.