Common corncockle vs Red-billed Quelea

Agrostemma githago compared with Quelea quelea

Key Differences

Common corncockle is Critically Endangered while Red-billed Quelea is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common corncockle	Red-billed Quelea
Kingdom	Plantae (식물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (피자식물문)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Magnoliopsida (목련강)	Aves (새)
Order	Caryophyllales (석죽목)	Passeriformes (참새목)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Ploceidae
Genus	Agrostemma	Quelea
Species	Agrostemma githago	Quelea quelea

Conservation Status

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Red-billed Quelea

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common corncockle	Red-billed Quelea
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common corncockle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Red-billed Quelea

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Cameroon, Gambia), Asia (United Arab Emirates), and Europe (7 countries).

Common corncockle

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.