El Oro Parakeet vs Scarlet Macaw

Pyrrhura orcesi compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• El Oro Parakeet is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	El Oro Parakeet	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family same	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Pyrrhura	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Pyrrhura orcesi	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

El Oro Parakeet and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Family level: Psittacidae. (True Parrots)

Conservation Status

El Oro Parakeet

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	El Oro Parakeet	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

El Oro Parakeet

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Ecuador and Norway. Currently classified as Endangered 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.

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 2 countries:

🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway