Common Eider vs Fly Agaric

Somateria mollissima compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Common Eider is Near Threatened while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Eider	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (hayvan)	Fungi (mantar)
Phylum	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Basidiomycota (Bazitli mantarlar)
Class	Aves (kuş)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Anseriformes (Kazsılar)	Agaricales (Lamelli mantarlar)
Family	Anatidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Somateria	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Somateria mollissima	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Common Eider

NT — Near Threatened

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Eider	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Eider

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Common Eider

Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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