Cheetah vs Red-tailed Hawk

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Buteo jamaicensis

Key Differences

• Cheetah is Vulnerable while Red-tailed Hawk is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Red-tailed Hawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Buteo
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Buteo jamaicensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and Red-tailed Hawk share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Red-tailed Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Red-tailed Hawk
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	12 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	50.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Red-tailed Hawk

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.