Graureiher vs Rauhfussbussard

Ardea cinerea compared with Buteo lagopus

Key Differences

• Graureiher is Least Concern while Rauhfussbussard is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Graureiher	Rauhfussbussard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Aves (Vögel)	Aves (Vögel)
Order	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)	Accipitriformes (Greifvögel)
Family	Ardeidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Ardea	Buteo
Species	Ardea cinerea	Buteo lagopus

Evolutionary Relationship

Graureiher and Rauhfussbussard share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Vögel)

Conservation Status

Graureiher

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Rauhfussbussard

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Graureiher	Rauhfussbussard
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	95 cm	—
Average Weight	1.5 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Graureiher

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Rauhfussbussard

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Graureiher

A large, elegant wading bird reaching up to 1 meter in height, gray herons inhabit wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Patient, solitary hunters, they stand motionless for long periods before striking fish, frogs, and small mammals with lightning-fast dagger bill strikes. They nest colonially in tall trees in rookeries called heronries, sometimes shared with other colonial waterbirds. Widely distributed and of Least Concern globally.

Rauhfussbussard

Rough-Legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) 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