Long-legged Thicketbird vs Scarlet Macaw

Megalurulus rufus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Long-legged Thicketbird is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Long-legged Thicketbird	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Locustellidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Megalurulus	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Megalurulus rufus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Long-legged Thicketbird and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Long-legged Thicketbird

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Long-legged Thicketbird	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Long-legged Thicketbird

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

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.