Sandwich Tern vs Scarlet Macaw

Thalasseus sandvicensis compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Sandwich Tern	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Laridae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Thalasseus	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Thalasseus sandvicensis	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Sandwich Tern and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Sandwich Tern

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Sandwich Tern

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇻🇪 Venezuela