Blue-and-yellow Macaw vs Smooth Map Lichen

Ara ararauna compared with Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Key Differences

Blue-and-yellow Macaw is Least Concern while Smooth Map Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue-and-yellow Macaw	Smooth Map Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Rhizocarpaceae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Rhizocarpon
Species	Ara ararauna	Rhizocarpon hochstetteri

Conservation Status

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Smooth Map Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue-and-yellow Macaw	Smooth Map Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Smooth Map Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

One of the most striking and widely kept macaw species, blue-and-yellow macaws display brilliant cobalt blue upper parts contrasting with vivid yellow underparts and green forehead. They inhabit forest, woodland, and savanna from eastern Panama through Venezuela, Brazil, and Bolivia to Peru and Ecuador. Highly intelligent, they live in pairs or small flocks, feeding on palm nuts, seeds, and fruit. Popular in aviculture for over 400 years, they can live 80+ years in captivity.