Scarlet Macaw vs Sharp-Scaly Pholiota

Ara macao compared with Pholiota squarrosoides

Key Differences

Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Sharp-Scaly Pholiota is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Sharp-Scaly Pholiota
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Strophariaceae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Pholiota
Species	Ara macao	Pholiota squarrosoides

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Sharp-Scaly Pholiota

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Sharp-Scaly Pholiota
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	85 cm	—
Average Weight	1.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Sharp-Scaly Pholiota

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across 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.