Clover Dodder vs Scarlet Macaw

Cuscuta epithymum compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Clover Dodder is Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Dodder	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (식물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (피자식물문)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Magnoliopsida (목련강)	Aves (새)
Order	Solanales (가지목)	Psittaciformes (앵무새)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Cuscuta	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Cuscuta epithymum	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Clover Dodder

EN — Endangered

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Dodder	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover Dodder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Venezuela). 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.

Clover Dodder

Clover dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) is a parasitic flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, a leafless, twining vine that obtains all its water and nutrients from host plants via haustoria — specialized penetrating organs that connect to host vascular tissue. The species is almost entirely dependent on its hosts throughout its life, with only brief photosynthetic activity during germination before establishing parasitic connections. C. epithymum parasitizes a wide range of host species including clover (Trifolium), gorse (Ulex), heathers (Erica, Calluna), thyme (Thymus), and other plants in open heathland, grassland, and scrub habitats. The stems are thread-like, yellowish-pink or reddish, and support clusters of small white to pale pink flowers. Originally widespread across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, the species has declined significantly in many parts of its range due to agricultural intensification, herbicide application, grassland conversion, and loss of semi-natural heathlands. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population decline across its European core range. Conservation of C. epithymum requires the maintenance of unimproved, low-nutrient grasslands and heathlands that support its diverse host plant communities. The species is recorded from Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, though populations in some regions represent introductions associated with contaminated legume seed lots.

Scarlet Macaw

아메리카 대륙에서 가장 화려한 색을 자랑하는 새 중 하나인 붉은 마코앵무(Ara macao)는 선명한 빨강, 노랑, 파랑 깃털과 최대 1미터에 이르는 날개 폭을 지닙니다. 멕시코에서 볼리비아에 이르는 습윤한 저지대 숲에 서식하며, 지능이 높고 최대 75년을 살 수 있는 장수 동물로 평생 짝을 이루어 생활합니다. 씨앗의 독소를 제거하기 위해 미네랄이 풍부한 흙을 섭취하는 클레이 릭까지 장거리를 이동합니다. 최소관심 종으로 분류되지만 서식지 파괴와 애완동물 거래로 인해 지역적으로 위협을 받고 있습니다.