Rough-Tailed vs Scarlet Macaw

Bathytoshia centroura compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Rough-Tailed is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Rough-Tailed	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Dasyatidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Bathytoshia	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Bathytoshia centroura	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Rough-Tailed and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Rough-Tailed

VU — Vulnerable

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Rough-Tailed

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.