Cheeta vs Orange-cheeked Waxbill

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Estrilda melpoda

Key Differences

• Cheeta is Vulnerable while Orange-cheeked Waxbill is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheeta	Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum same	Chordata (रज्जुकी)	Chordata (रज्जुकी)
Class	Mammalia (स्तनधारी)	Aves (पक्षी)
Order	Carnivora (मांसाहारी गण)	Passeriformes (पासरीफ़ोर्मीज़)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Estrildidae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Estrilda
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Estrilda melpoda

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheeta and Orange-cheeked Waxbill share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (रज्जुकी)

Conservation Status

Cheeta

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheeta	Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	12 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	50.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cheeta

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.

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

Cheeta

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.

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

A charming small estrildid finch with an unmistakable orange cheek patch set against a grey head, brown back, and pale white underparts, orange-cheeked waxbills are native to the humid forests and forest edges of West and Central Africa. They feed on small grass and weed seeds, often near water. Widely kept as aviary birds, they have established feral populations in parts of Puerto Rico, Europe, and Asia. Active and social, they pair bond strongly.