Scarlet Macaw vs Small Gorse Mining Bee

Ara macao compared with Andrena ovatula

Key Differences

• Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Small Gorse Mining Bee is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Small Gorse Mining Bee
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Andrenidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Andrena
Species	Ara macao	Andrena ovatula

Evolutionary Relationship

Scarlet Macaw and Small Gorse Mining Bee share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Small Gorse Mining Bee

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Small Gorse Mining Bee
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.

Small Gorse Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable 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