Scarlet Macaw vs Smooth Pox Lichen

Ara macao compared with Pyrenula laevigata

Key Differences

Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Smooth Pox Lichen is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Smooth Pox Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Eurotiomycetes (Eurotiomycetes)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Pyrenulales (Pyrenulales)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Pyrenulaceae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Pyrenula
Species	Ara macao	Pyrenula laevigata

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Smooth Pox Lichen

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Smooth Pox Lichen
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.

Smooth Pox Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

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.