Red Beard Lichen vs Scarlet Macaw

Usnea rubicunda compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Red Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Red Beard Lichen	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Usnea	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Usnea rubicunda	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Red Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Red Beard Lichen	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Red Beard Lichen

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (Norway, Portugal, Sweden), North America (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.

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 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇳🇴 Norway