Common Sundew vs Scarlet Macaw

Drosera rotundifolia compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Common Sundew is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Sundew	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Droseraceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Drosera	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Drosera rotundifolia	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Common Sundew

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Sundew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (8 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 Sundew

<em>Drosera rotundifolia</em>, the common sundew, is a carnivorous flowering plant in the family Droseraceae, order Caryophyllales. It has a broad distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America, typically growing in sphagnum bogs, wet heathlands, and other nutrient-poor, acidic wetland habitats where it compensates for low soil nutrient availability by trapping and digesting insects. The round leaves bear red, glandular tentacles tipped with sticky mucilage that immobilize prey, which is then digested by enzymes secreted from the leaf surface. <em>Drosera rotundifolia</em> produces small white flowers on a slender scape, pollinated by insects. It plays a minor but ecologically interesting role in controlling insect populations within its boggy habitat. Biological traits including typical individual lifespan, precise leaf dimensions, and detailed prey composition remain poorly documented. The species is assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, reflecting significant population declines across much of its range driven primarily by drainage and destruction of peatland habitats, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, and climate change altering the hydrology of bog ecosystems. Effective peatland conservation is critical for the long-term survival of this species.

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.