Common Ground-Pine vs Scarlet Macaw

Dendrolycopodium obscurum compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Common Ground-Pine is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Ground-Pine	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lycopodiopsida (Lycopodiopsida)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Lycopodiales (Lycopodiales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Lycopodiaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Dendrolycopodium	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Dendrolycopodium obscurum	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Common Ground-Pine

NE — Not Evaluated

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Ground-Pine	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Ground-Pine

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

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.

Common Ground-Pine

The common ground pine, <em>Dendrolycopodium obscurum</em>, is a vascular plant belonging to the family Lycopodiaceae, a lineage of ancient clubmosses. This species is typically found across North America, with its known range encompassing Canada and the United States. As a lycophyte, <em>Dendrolycopodium obscurum</em> represents a deeply divergent lineage among land plants, distinct from mosses and ferns. The species typically grows in moist forested habitats, particularly in coniferous and mixed woodlands where humidity and leaf litter provide suitable conditions for its growth. Its upright, tree-like sporophylls give it the common name ground pine. No dietary information has been provided for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.