Common Dodder vs 八哥

Cuscuta gronovii compared with Acridotheres cristatellus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Dodder	八哥
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Aves (鳥綱)
Order	Solanales (茄目)	Passeriformes (雀形目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Sturnidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Acridotheres
Species	Cuscuta gronovii	Acridotheres cristatellus

Conservation Status

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

八哥

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Dodder	八哥
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

八哥

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates), Europe (7 countries), and South America (Argentina, Bolivia).

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.

八哥

凤头八哥（Acridotheres cristatellus）在IUCN红色名录中被列为无危（LC）物种。在其分布范围内广泛且数量丰富，种群稳定，无即时保育关切。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom