Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat vs Scarlet Macaw

Balantiopteryx infusca compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Aves (burung)
Order	Chiroptera (Kelelawar)	Psittaciformes (Bayan)
Family	Emballonuridae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Balantiopteryx	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Balantiopteryx infusca	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

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:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador