Dusky Flying Fox vs Scarlet Macaw

Pteropus brunneus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Dusky Flying Fox is Extinct while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dusky Flying Fox	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Pteropus brunneus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Dusky Flying Fox and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Dusky Flying Fox

EX — Extinct

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dusky Flying Fox	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dusky Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.