Black-thighed Puffleg vs Chestnut-fronted Macaw

Eriocnemis derbyi compared with Ara severus

Key Differences

• Black-thighed Puffleg is Near Threatened while Chestnut-fronted Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-thighed Puffleg	Chestnut-fronted 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	Eriocnemis	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Eriocnemis derbyi	Ara severus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-thighed Puffleg and Chestnut-fronted Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Black-thighed Puffleg

NT — Near Threatened

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-thighed Puffleg	Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-thighed Puffleg

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Belgium, Norway), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Black-thighed Puffleg

An Andean puffleg hummingbird named for the males' distinctive velvety black thighs contrasting with the characteristic white leg feather puffs, black-thighed pufflegs inhabit humid montane forest and forest edges in Ecuador and Colombia at elevations of 1,500–3,500 meters. Males display glittering green plumage with a violet-blue tail. Listed as Near Threatened due to deforestation of the Andean cloud forest, with populations declining as the specialized high-altitude forest habitat is cleared for agriculture.

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

A medium-sized macaw of Central and South American tropical forests from southern Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil, chestnut-fronted macaws have predominantly green plumage with a chestnut forehead, red shoulder patches, and blue flight feathers. The smallest of the true macaws, they inhabit forest edges, savannas, and secondary woodland and often raid crops, making them locally unpopular with farmers. They are popular aviary birds, but wild populations face pressure from trapping and deforestation.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway