Balau vs Scarlet Macaw

Shorea lumutensis compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Balau is Critically Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balau	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Malvales (Malvales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Dipterocarpaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Shorea	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Shorea lumutensis	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Balau

CR — Critically Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balau

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.

Balau

The Balau (Shorea lumutensis) is a species in the genus Shorea. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.