Bitter Scalewort vs Scarlet Macaw

Porella arboris-vitae compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Bitter Scalewort is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Scalewort	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Porellales (Porellales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Porellaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Porella	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Porella arboris-vitae	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Bitter Scalewort

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Scalewort

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries). 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.

Bitter Scalewort

The Bitter Scalewort (Porella arboris-vitae) is a species in the genus Porella. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.