Monarch vs Scarlet Macaw

Danaus plexippus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Monarch is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Scarlet Macaw is 2000.0x heavier than Monarch.
• Scarlet Macaw lives longer (50 years vs 1 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Monarch	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Danaus (Milkweed Butterflies)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Danaus plexippus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Monarch

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Monarch	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	1 years	50 years
Average Length	5 cm	85 cm
Average Weight	0 g	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Monarch

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (8 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.

Monarch

One of the world's most remarkable migratory insects, monarch butterflies undertake multigenerational round-trip migrations of up to 4,800 km between breeding grounds in northern North America and overwintering sites in Mexican mountain forests. Brilliant orange and black wings warn predators of toxicity derived from milkweed plants consumed as caterpillars. Endangered, with overwintering populations having declined by over 80% since the 1990s due to milkweed habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇬🇧 United Kingdom