Plum pine vs Scarlet Macaw

Podocarpus elatus compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Plum pine	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Podocarpaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Podocarpus	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Podocarpus elatus	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Plum pine

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Plum pine

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Found in 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.