Rough-faced shag vs Scarlet Macaw

Leucocarbo carunculatus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Rough-faced shag is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Rough-faced shag	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Phalacrocoracidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Leucocarbo	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Leucocarbo carunculatus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Rough-faced shag and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Rough-faced shag

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Rough-faced shag	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Rough-faced shag

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

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.