Black-faced Tanager vs Scarlet Macaw

Schistochlamys melanopis compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-faced Tanager	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Thraupidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Schistochlamys	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Schistochlamys melanopis	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-faced Tanager and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Black-faced Tanager

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-faced Tanager	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-faced Tanager

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

Black-faced Tanager

A medium-sized tanager with a distinctive black face mask contrasting with grey-white body plumage, black-faced tanagers inhabit forest edges, secondary woodland, cerrado, and open scrub across a broad range from Colombia and Venezuela south through the Guianas and Brazil. They are adaptable birds tolerant of disturbed and degraded habitats, foraging on fruit, berries, and insects in pairs and small groups. Listed as Least Concern and among the more common tanagers in disturbed habitats across northern South America.

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 4 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇻🇪 Venezuela