River Bristle-moss vs Scarlet Macaw

Orthotrichum rivulare compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• River Bristle-moss is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	River Bristle-moss	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bryophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Orthotrichales (Orthotrichales)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Orthotrichaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Orthotrichum	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Orthotrichum rivulare	Ara macao

Conservation Status

River Bristle-moss

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	River Bristle-moss	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

River Bristle-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Luxembourg and Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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:

🇳🇴 Norway