Buckelwal vs Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Cathartes burrovianus

Key Differences

• Buckelwal is Vulnerable while Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal	Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Aves (burung)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Cathartidae
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Cathartes
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Cathartes burrovianus

Evolutionary Relationship

Buckelwal and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal	Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes burrovianus) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇻🇪 Venezuela