Águila cabeza blanca vs common whorl snail

Haliaeetus leucocephalus compared with Vertigo pygmaea

Key Differences

• Águila cabeza blanca is Not Evaluated while common whorl snail is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Águila cabeza blanca	common whorl snail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Mollusca (moluscos)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Gastropoda (gastrópodos)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Stylommatophora (Stylommatophora)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Vertiginidae
Genus	Haliaeetus (Sea Eagles)	Vertigo
Species	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Vertigo pygmaea

Evolutionary Relationship

Águila cabeza blanca and common whorl snail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Águila cabeza blanca

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~316.7K

Trend: Increasing ↑

common whorl snail

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Águila cabeza blanca	common whorl snail
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	28 years	—
Average Length	90 cm	—
Average Weight	5.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Águila cabeza blanca

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 10 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Ecuador).

common whorl snail

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Águila cabeza blanca

El ave nacional de los Estados Unidos y símbolo del éxito conservacionista americano, el águila cabeza blanca tiene una envergadura de hasta 2,4 metros y habita bosques y humedales próximos a aguas abiertas en toda Norteamérica. Casi extinta en la década de 1960 por el envenenamiento con DDT y la caza, se recuperó de forma notable gracias a las prohibiciones de pesticidas y la Ley de Especies en Peligro.

common whorl snail

<em>Vertigo pygmaea</em>, commonly known as the common whorl snail, is a minute land snail in the family Vertiginidae, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, reflecting documented population declines attributable to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and wetland drainage across its European and North American range. The species occurs across much of Europe and parts of the United States, typically inhabiting short-sward calcareous grasslands, chalk and limestone downlands, damp meadows, and the bases of grassy slopes where the vegetation structure is open and low-growing. <em>Vertigo pygmaea</em> is among the smallest terrestrial mollusks, with a shell typically measuring only 1.5–2 mm in height — a feature shared by all members of the genus Vertigo. Despite its tiny size, the shell is complex, with multiple internal tooth-like lamellae visible within the aperture that are used in species identification. The species typically feeds on decaying plant material, algae, and fungi associated with soil and leaf litter microhabitats. It requires specific microhabitat conditions including moderate soil moisture and an abundance of calcium for shell formation. Biological traits including average lifespan, precise shell dimensions, and mass remain poorly documented in standardized databases. Conservation efforts for <em>Vertigo pygmaea</em> typically focus on maintaining and restoring calcareous grassland habitats through appropriate grazing management regimes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States