Common Moonwort vs Spotted Sandpiper

Botrychium lunaria compared with Actitis macularius

Key Differences

• Common Moonwort is Endangered while Spotted Sandpiper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Moonwort	Spotted Sandpiper
Kingdom	Plantae (식물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Polypodiopsida (고사리강)	Aves (새)
Order	Ophioglossales (고사리삼목)	Charadriiformes (도요목)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Scolopacidae
Genus	Botrychium	Actitis
Species	Botrychium lunaria	Actitis macularius

Conservation Status

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Spotted Sandpiper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Moonwort	Spotted Sandpiper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Spotted Sandpiper

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.

Spotted Sandpiper

점박이도요(Actitis macularius)는 IUCN 적색 목록에서 최소 관심(LC)으로 분류된다. 서식 범위 전반에 걸쳐 광범위하게 분포하고 개체수가 풍부하며, 안정적인 개체군을 유지하고 즉각적인 보전 우려 사항은 없다.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

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