African elephant vs Black-eared Fairy

Loxodonta africana compared with Heliothryx auritus

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Black-eared Fairy is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Black-eared Fairy
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Mammalia (memeliler)	Aves (kuş)
Order	Proboscidea (Hortumlular)	Apodiformes (Ebabiller)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Trochilidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Heliothryx
Species	Loxodonta africana	Heliothryx auritus

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Black-eared Fairy share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Kordalılar)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Black-eared Fairy

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Black-eared Fairy
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

African elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-eared Fairy

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.

Black-eared Fairy

The Black-eared Fairy (Heliothryx auritus) is a species in the genus Heliothryx. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.