American Bald Eagle vs gray wolf

Haliaeetus leucocephalus compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

  • American Bald Eagle is Not Evaluated while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.
  • gray wolf is 9.0x heavier than American Bald Eagle.
  • American Bald Eagle lives longer (28 years vs 13 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank American Bald Eagle gray wolf
Kingdom same Animalia (สัตว์) Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง) Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class Aves (นก) Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order Accipitriformes (อันดับเหยี่ยว) Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)
Family Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles) Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus Haliaeetus (Sea Eagles) Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species Haliaeetus leucocephalus Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

American Bald Eagle and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)

Conservation Status

American Bald Eagle

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~316.7K

Trend: Increasing ↑

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute American Bald Eagle gray wolf
Diet Carnivore Carnivore
Average Lifespan 28 years 13 years
Average Length 90 cm 1.6 m
Average Weight 5.0 kg 45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Bald Eagle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 10 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Ecuador).

gray wolf

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

American Bald Eagle

The national bird of the United States and a symbol of American conservation success, bald eagles have a wingspan of up to 2.4 meters and inhabit forests and wetlands near open water across North America. Powerful aerial predators and scavengers, they specialize in fish but also take waterfowl and carrion. Nearly extinct by the 1960s due to DDT poisoning and hunting, the bald eagle recovered dramatically following pesticide bans and the Endangered Species Act.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

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