Common Scale-backed Antbird vs Lion

Willisornis poecilinotus compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Common Scale-backed Antbird is Least Concern while Lion is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Scale-backed Antbird	Lion
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Aves (kuş)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Passeriformes (Ötücü kuşlar)	Carnivora (etçiller)
Family	Thamnophilidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Willisornis	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Willisornis poecilinotus	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Scale-backed Antbird and Lion share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Kordalılar)

Conservation Status

Common Scale-backed Antbird

LC — Least Concern

Lion

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Scale-backed Antbird	Lion
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Scale-backed Antbird

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Lion

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 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Scale-backed Antbird

<em>Willisornis poecilinotus</em>, the common scale-backed antbird, is a passerine bird in the family Thamnophilidae, order Passeriformes, native to the tropical forests of northwestern South America. Its range encompasses parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, where it inhabits the dense understory of humid lowland and foothill rainforests. This species is typically found foraging close to the forest floor, often following army ant swarms to catch invertebrates flushed by the ants — a foraging strategy known as obligate or facultative ant-following. The common scale-backed antbird is sexually dimorphic; males display distinctive scaled patterning on the back while females typically show rufous-brown tones. The IUCN currently classifies <em>Willisornis poecilinotus</em> as Least Concern, reflecting a stable population within its forest habitat. However, continued deforestation in the Chocó and Amazonian foothills regions poses a longer-term concern for this and many forest-dependent species. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including precise data on average lifespan, body dimensions, weight, and detailed dietary breakdown beyond its general insectivorous habits.

Lion

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador