clouded magpie vs 云雀

Abraxas sylvata compared with Alauda arvensis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank clouded magpie 云雀
Kingdom same Animalia (动物界) Animalia (动物界)
Phylum Arthropoda (节肢动物门) Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class Insecta (昆蟲綱) Aves (鳥綱)
Order Lepidoptera (鱗翅目) Passeriformes (雀形目)
Family Geometridae Alaudidae
Genus Abraxas Alauda
Species Abraxas sylvata Alauda arvensis

Evolutionary Relationship

clouded magpie and 云雀 share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

Conservation Status

clouded magpie

VU — Vulnerable

云雀

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute clouded magpie 云雀
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

clouded magpie

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

云雀

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

clouded magpie

The clouded magpie (Abraxas sylvata) is a geometrid moth in the family Geometridae found across temperate Europe, extending eastward through Russia to Japan. The adult wingspan measures approximately 32–42 mm, with white wings bearing a distinctive pattern of yellow-orange and dark grey to black spots and patches arranged in rows across the forewing and hindwing, creating a striking patterned appearance resembling the magpie coloring of the related magpie moth Abraxas grossulariata, but with a more yellowish, muted tone and less black — hence 'clouded.' Adults fly in one generation from June to July, resting on leaf surfaces and attending woodland flowers for nectar. The larvae feed on wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and occasionally other Ulmus species in mature deciduous woodland and woodland edges. The clouded magpie has become less common in parts of its European range due to the widespread loss of mature elms from Dutch elm disease, which devastated European elm populations from the 1970s onward. Conservation of this species requires the protection of surviving mature elm trees and management of regrowth elms in woodland ecosystems.

云雀

云雀(Alauda arvensis)以飞行中歌唱的复杂悦耳鸣声在欧洲文学和诗歌中广受赞誉。它们在欧洲和亚洲的开阔农田、草地和荒野上空垂直飞翔数百米,同时发出长达一小时的连续鸣唱。雄鸟可发出700多种独特的鸣唱短句。曾经在欧洲农田中极为丰富的云雀,由于农业集约化,自1970年以来种群数量已下降70%以上。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia