Military Macaw vs Scarlet Macaw

Ara militaris compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Military Macaw is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Military Macaw	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (حيوانات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum same	Chordata (حبليات)	Chordata (حبليات)
Class same	Aves (طيور)	Aves (طيور)
Order same	Psittaciformes (ببغاء)	Psittaciformes (ببغاء)
Family same	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus same	Ara (Macaws)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Ara militaris	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Military Macaw and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Ara. (Macaws)

Conservation Status

Military Macaw

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Military Macaw	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Military Macaw

Habitat

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

Range

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

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇻🇪 Venezuela