Gladys' Mountain Spikes vs Scarlet Macaw

Lepra andersoniae compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Gladys' Mountain Spikes is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gladys' Mountain Spikes	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Pertusariales (Pertusariales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Pertusariaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Lepra	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Lepra andersoniae	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Gladys' Mountain Spikes

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gladys' Mountain Spikes	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gladys' Mountain Spikes

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.

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.