Japanese Cherry vs Scarlet Macaw

Prunus serrulata compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Japanese Cherry is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
Japanese Cherry is autotroph while Scarlet Macaw is herbivore.
Scarlet Macaw lives longer (50 years vs 40 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Japanese Cherry	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Prunus serrulata	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Japanese Cherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Japanese Cherry	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Autotroph	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	40 years	50 years
Average Length	10.0 m	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Japanese Cherry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Brazil).

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.

Japanese Cherry

The quintessential symbol of spring in Japan, Japanese cherry trees produce transient clouds of white and pink blossom each spring — a cultural event called hanami (flower viewing) celebrated for centuries. Reaching up to 25 meters, they were domesticated from wild Prunus species over a millennium of selective cultivation, producing primarily sterile ornamental varieties that propagate by grafting. Over 200 cultivars are recognized, with Somei Yoshino accounting for the majority of Japan's famous cherry avenues.

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.