Black Inca vs Scarlet Macaw

Coeligena prunellei compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Black Inca is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Inca	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Trochilidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Coeligena	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Coeligena prunellei	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Black Inca

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Inca

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Norway. 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.

Black Inca

The Black Inca (Coeligena prunellei) is a species in the genus Coeligena. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

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 🇳🇴 Norway