Common Dodder vs águia-real

Cuscuta gronovii compared with Aquila chrysaetos

Key Differences

Common Dodder is Least Concern while águia-real is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Dodder	águia-real
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (ave)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Cuscuta	Aquila (True Eagles)
Species	Cuscuta gronovii	Aquila chrysaetos

Conservation Status

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

águia-real

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Dodder	águia-real
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	5.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

águia-real

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.

águia-real

Entre as aves de rapina mais poderosas e amplamente distribuídas do mundo, as águias-reais têm envergaduras que chegam a 2,2 metros e habitam terrenos montanhosos em todo o Hemisfério Norte. Caçadoras aéreas supremas, usam voo planado e mergulhos íngremes a velocidades superiores a 200 km/h para capturar coelhos, lebres, esquilos terrestres e ocasionalmente cervos jovens e raposas. Em muitas culturas, foram centrais nas tradições de falcoaria que abrangem milênios.