Golden Eagle vs Scarlet Macaw

Aquila chrysaetos compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Golden Eagle is Near Threatened while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Golden Eagle is carnivore while Scarlet Macaw is herbivore.
• Golden Eagle is 5.0x heavier than Scarlet Macaw.
• Scarlet Macaw lives longer (50 years vs 30 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Golden Eagle	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Aquila (True Eagles)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Aquila chrysaetos	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Golden Eagle and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Golden Eagle	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	50 years
Average Length	85 cm	85 cm
Average Weight	5.0 kg	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Golden Eagle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Golden Eagle

Among the most powerful and widely distributed raptors in the world, golden eagles have wingspans reaching 2.2 meters and inhabit mountainous terrain across the Northern Hemisphere. Supreme aerial hunters, they use soaring flight and steep dives at speeds over 200 km/h to capture rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, and occasionally young deer and foxes. In many cultures they have been central to falconry traditions spanning millennia.

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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway