Coastal Ragweed vs Scarlet Macaw

Ambrosia hispida compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Ragweed	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom	Plantae (식물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (피자식물문)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Magnoliopsida (목련강)	Aves (새)
Order	Asterales (국화목)	Psittaciformes (앵무새)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Ambrosia	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Ambrosia hispida	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Cuba.

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.

Coastal Ragweed

Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the coastal dunes, sandy beaches, and cays of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the wider Caribbean region. It grows in pioneer beach and dune vegetation, often forming spreading colonies that help stabilise loose coastal sands. Like other members of the genus Ambrosia, it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in racemes; male flower heads produce wind-dispersed pollen that can trigger allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. The deeply lobed, hispid leaves are adapted to reflect intense solar radiation and tolerate salt spray. Coastal ragweed plays an ecological role in early dune succession, binding sand and enabling other plant species to establish. The genus is widespread globally, with several Ambrosia species considered noxious weeds in agricultural settings, though Ambrosia hispida is restricted to its native Caribbean coastal range. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting adequate population size across its Caribbean coastal distribution. Pressure from coastal development and tourism infrastructure poses a localised threat to dune communities it inhabits.

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.