Scarlet Macaw vs Silver-backed Needletail

Ara macao compared with Hirundapus cochinchinensis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Silver-backed Needletail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Apodidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Hirundapus
Species	Ara macao	Hirundapus cochinchinensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Scarlet Macaw and Silver-backed Needletail share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Silver-backed Needletail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Silver-backed Needletail
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.

Silver-backed Needletail

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway