Scarlet Macaw vs Short-Haired Leafwalker

Ara macao compared with Chalcosyrphus piger

Key Differences

• Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Short-Haired Leafwalker is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Short-Haired Leafwalker
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Syrphidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Chalcosyrphus
Species	Ara macao	Chalcosyrphus piger

Evolutionary Relationship

Scarlet Macaw and Short-Haired Leafwalker share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Short-Haired Leafwalker

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Short-Haired Leafwalker
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.

Short-Haired Leafwalker

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway