Demoiselle Crane vs Scarlet Macaw
Anthropoides virgo compared with Ara macao
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Demoiselle Crane | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anthropoides virgo | Ara macao |
| Order | Gruiformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 85.0 cm (33.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) | 110.0 cm (43.3 in) |
| Weight | 2500.0 g (88.18 oz) | 1000.0 g (35.27 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields. | Fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers from rainforest canopy trees. Visits clay licks to detoxify compounds … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Demoiselle Crane only
Scarlet Macaw only
Demoiselle Crane
Dry grasslands, savannas, and semi-desert. Nests on the ground in open country, often near water. Winters in agricultural fields.
Scarlet Macaw
Humid tropical lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and forest edges. Requires large mature trees with cavities for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Demoiselle Crane
A high-pitched, bugling 'karr-r-r' in flight. Also gives softer clucking and purring contact calls. Migrating flocks produce a continuous musical babbling audible from great distance.
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
Demoiselle Crane
Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Scarlet Macaw
Southern Mexico through Central America to Amazonian South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Conservation Status
Demoiselle Crane
Scarlet Macaw
How to Tell Them Apart
Demoiselle Crane
Pale blue-grey body with a black head, neck, and breast plumes. White ear tufts extend behind the red eyes. Long black tertials drape over the tail.
Short, yellowish-olive bill, shorter than other cranes
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
Demoiselle Crane
The demoiselle crane is the smallest crane species but undertakes one of the most grueling migrations, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes over 8,000 meters to reach wintering grounds in India. Named for its elegant appearance by Marie Antoinette, it is the second most abundant crane species in the world.
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.