black-headed spider monkey vs Scarlet Macaw

Ateles fusciceps compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• black-headed spider monkey is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	black-headed spider monkey	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Primates (Primates)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Atelidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Ateles	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Ateles fusciceps	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

black-headed spider monkey and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

black-headed spider monkey

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	black-headed spider monkey	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

black-headed spider monkey

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered 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.

black-headed spider monkey

The Black-Headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps) is a species in the genus Ateles. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

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 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador