Scarlet Macaw vs Superb Cyanea

Ara macao compared with Cyanea superba

Key Differences

• Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Superb Cyanea is Extinct in the Wild.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Superb Cyanea
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Cnidaria (Cnidarians)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Scyphozoa (Scyphozoa)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Semaeostomeae (Semaeostomeae)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Cyaneidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Cyanea
Species	Ara macao	Cyanea superba

Evolutionary Relationship

Scarlet Macaw and Superb Cyanea share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Superb Cyanea

EW — Extinct in the Wild

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Superb Cyanea
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.

Superb Cyanea

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.