Scarlet Macaw vs Wood Dwarf

Ara macao compared with Elachista obliquella

Key Differences

Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while Wood Dwarf is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	Wood Dwarf
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Elachistidae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Elachista
Species	Ara macao	Elachista obliquella

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Wood Dwarf

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	Wood Dwarf
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.

Wood Dwarf

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.