Chestnut-fronted Macaw vs Common Merganser

Ara severus compared with Mergus merganser

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chestnut-fronted Macaw	Common Merganser
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Anatidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Mergus
Species	Ara severus	Mergus merganser

Evolutionary Relationship

Chestnut-fronted Macaw and Common Merganser share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Common Merganser

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chestnut-fronted Macaw	Common Merganser
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

Common Merganser

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

Common Merganser

<em>Mergus merganser</em>, the common merganser or goosander, is a large diving duck in the family Anatidae, broadly distributed across Europe and North America. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is capable of aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic locomotion, but is most specialized for underwater pursuit of prey. The common merganser is typically piscivorous, diving in clear, fast-flowing rivers and lakes to catch fish using its serrated bill, which provides a firm grip on slippery prey. Males display striking breeding plumage with a dark green head, white body, and red bill, while females are grey with a rusty-brown head and crested nape. The species nests in tree cavities, cliff ledges, and artificial nest boxes near freshwater habitats. It requires clean, well-oxygenated rivers and lakes for foraging, making it sensitive to water quality degradation and overfishing of prey species. Common mergansers are migratory in northern parts of their range, moving to coastal and ice-free inland waters during winter months.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States