Citron Plume vs Scarlet Macaw

Hellinsia carphodactyla compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Citron Plume is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Citron Plume	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Pterophoridae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Hellinsia	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Hellinsia carphodactyla	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Citron Plume and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Citron Plume

NE — Not Evaluated

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Citron Plume

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Asia (Kazakhstan) and Europe (26 countries).

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.

Citron Plume

The Citron Plume (Hellinsia carphodactyla) is a species in the genus Hellinsia. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands