Bitter-Root vs Scarlet Macaw

Apocynum androsaemifolium compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Bitter-Root is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter-Root	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Apocynaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Apocynum	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Apocynum androsaemifolium	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Bitter-Root

NE — Not Evaluated

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter-Root

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Bitter-Root

The Bitter-Root (Apocynum androsaemifolium) is a species in the genus Apocynum. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.