Cape Wagtail vs Scarlet Macaw

Motacilla capensis compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cape Wagtail	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	Motacillidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Motacilla	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Motacilla capensis	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cape Wagtail

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cape Wagtail

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

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.

Cape Wagtail

The Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis) is a species in the genus Motacilla. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) 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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway