gray wolf vs White-headed Duck

Canis lupus compared with Oxyura leucocephala

Key Differences

• gray wolf is Critically Endangered while White-headed Duck is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	White-headed Duck
Kingdom same	Animalia (động vật)	Animalia (động vật)
Phylum same	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)
Class	Mammalia (lớp Thú)	Aves (chim)
Order	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)	Anseriformes (bộ Ngỗng)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Anatidae
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Oxyura
Species	Canis lupus	Oxyura leucocephala

Evolutionary Relationship

gray wolf and White-headed Duck share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (động vật có dây sống)

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

White-headed Duck

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	White-headed Duck
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	13 years	—
Average Length	1.6 m	—
Average Weight	45.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

White-headed Duck

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries).

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.

White-headed Duck

White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is classified as Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List. Not yet evaluated against IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation status remains to be determined.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden