Chestnut-breasted Whiteface vs Scarlet Macaw

Aphelocephala pectoralis compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Chestnut-breasted Whiteface is Near Threatened while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chestnut-breasted Whiteface	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	Acanthizidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Aphelocephala	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Aphelocephala pectoralis	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Chestnut-breasted Whiteface and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Chestnut-breasted Whiteface

NT — Near Threatened

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chestnut-breasted Whiteface	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chestnut-breasted Whiteface

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Chestnut-breasted Whiteface

The Chestnut-breasted Whiteface (Aphelocephala pectoralis) is a species in the genus Aphelocephala. It is currently classified as Near Threatened 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