Hoopoe vs Scarlet Macaw
Upupa epops compared with Ara macao
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hoopoe | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Upupa epops | Ara macao |
| Order | Bucerotiformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Upupidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 28.0 cm (11.0 in) | 85.0 cm (33.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 46.0 cm (18.1 in) | 110.0 cm (43.3 in) |
| Weight | 62.0 g (2.19 oz) | 1000.0 g (35.27 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and larvae probed from the ground, especially beetle grubs, crickets, and caterpillars. Occasionally takes … | Fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers from rainforest canopy trees. Visits clay licks to detoxify compounds … |
| Clutch Size | 2-12 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Hoopoe
Open woodland, orchards, vineyards, parkland, and grassland with bare or sparsely vegetated ground for foraging.
Scarlet Macaw
Humid tropical lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and forest edges. Requires large mature trees with cavities for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Hoopoe
The eponymous call: a soft, far-carrying 'oop-oop-oop', repeated in triplets or quadruplets. Given from a hidden perch; mellow and flute-like. Contact call is a thin 'cherrr'.
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
Hoopoe
Europe, Asia, and Africa. Northern populations are migratory. A widespread species across the Old World.
Scarlet Macaw
Southern Mexico through Central America to Amazonian South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Conservation Status
Hoopoe
Scarlet Macaw
How to Tell Them Apart
Hoopoe
Pinkish-brown body with dramatically barred black and white wings and tail. Long, erectile, fan-shaped crest tipped with black. Undulating butterfly-like flight.
Long, thin, slightly decurved bill for probing soil
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
Hoopoe
The hoopoe is one of the most distinctive birds in the Old World with its striking zebra-patterned wings and extravagant crest. It is the national bird of Israel and features prominently in mythology from ancient Egypt to the Quran. Hoopoe nests produce a foul-smelling secretion that deters predators.
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.