Black-faced Hawk vs Lion

Leucopternis melanops compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Black-faced Hawk is Least Concern while Lion is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-faced Hawk	Lion
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (burung)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Leucopternis	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Leucopternis melanops	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-faced Hawk and Lion share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Black-faced Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Lion

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-faced Hawk	Lion
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-faced Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Lion

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-faced Hawk

The Black-faced Hawk (Leucopternis melanops) is a species in the genus Leucopternis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Lion

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador