Faded Pincertail vs Scarlet Macaw

Onychogomphus costae compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Faded Pincertail is Near Threatened while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Faded Pincertail	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Gomphidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Onychogomphus	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Onychogomphus costae	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Faded Pincertail and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Faded Pincertail

NT — Near Threatened

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Faded Pincertail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.