Northern needleleaf vs Scarlet Macaw

Tillandsia balbisiana compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Northern needleleaf	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Bromeliaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Tillandsia	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Tillandsia balbisiana	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Northern needleleaf

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Northern needleleaf	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Northern needleleaf

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and United States.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia