Dixie ticktrefoil vs Scarlet Macaw

Desmodium tortuosum compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dixie ticktrefoil	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Fabaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Desmodium	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Desmodium tortuosum	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Dixie ticktrefoil

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dixie ticktrefoil

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (United Kingdom), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (4 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.

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:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇻🇪 Venezuela