Backbutt Mallee vs Scarlet Macaw

Eucalyptus zopherophloia compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Backbutt Mallee	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myrtales (Myrtales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Myrtaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Eucalyptus	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Eucalyptus zopherophloia	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Backbutt Mallee

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Backbutt Mallee

Habitat

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

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.

Backbutt Mallee

The Backbutt Mallee (Eucalyptus zopherophloia) is a species in the genus Eucalyptus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.