Budgerigar vs Scarlet Macaw
Melopsittacus undulatus compared with Ara macao
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Budgerigar | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Melopsittacus undulatus | Ara macao |
| Order | Psittaciformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Psittaculidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 18.0 cm (7.1 in) | 85.0 cm (33.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) | 110.0 cm (43.3 in) |
| Weight | 30.0 g (1.06 oz) | 1000.0 g (35.27 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily grass seeds and other small seeds. In the wild, feeds on the ground in … | Fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers from rainforest canopy trees. Visits clay licks to detoxify compounds … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Budgerigar
Open grasslands, scrublands, and woodland in the Australian interior. Nomadic, following rainfall and seeding events.
Scarlet Macaw
Humid tropical lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and forest edges. Requires large mature trees with cavities for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Budgerigar
A rising, chattering 'budgerigar' chatter: rapid series of 'chek-chek-chek' and melodic warbling. Enormous wild flocks produce a continuous roaring chorus. Good vocal mimics in captivity.
Scarlet Macaw
Very loud, raucous squawking screams 'araak-araak'. Also gives chattering contact calls in pairs. Capable of mimicking human speech in captivity. Highly vocal throughout the day.
Geographic Range & Migration
Budgerigar
Interior of Australia, especially arid and semi-arid regions. One of the most popular pet birds worldwide.
Scarlet Macaw
Southern Mexico through Central America to Amazonian South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Conservation Status
Budgerigar
Scarlet Macaw
How to Tell Them Apart
Budgerigar
Wild-type is green with yellow head and barred black scalloping on upperparts. Captive-bred varieties include blue, white, yellow, and many other colors.
Short, downward-curved, olive-grey bill typical of parakeets
Scarlet Macaw
Brilliant scarlet red body with bright yellow wing coverts and blue flight feathers and tail. Large white bare facial patch around the eye.
Large, strongly curved bill — pale horn upper mandible, dark lower mandible
About These Birds
Budgerigar
The budgerigar is the third most popular pet in the world after dogs and cats, and by far the most common pet parrot. Wild budgies travel in enormous nomadic flocks that can darken the sky. Males can learn to mimic human speech, with one record-holding budgie having a vocabulary of 1,728 words.
Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is one of the most iconic tropical birds with its dazzling tricolor plumage. These highly intelligent parrots form lifelong pair bonds and can live over 75 years in captivity. They play an important ecological role as seed dispersers in Neotropical rainforests.