Cheetah vs Scarlet Macaw

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Cheetah is Vulnerable while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Cheetah is carnivore while Scarlet Macaw is herbivore.
• Cheetah is 50.0x heavier than Scarlet Macaw.
• Scarlet Macaw lives longer (50 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Mammalia (memeliler)	Aves (kuş)
Order	Carnivora (etçiller)	Psittaciformes (Papağansılar)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Kordalılar)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	12 years	50 years
Average Length	1.5 m	85 cm
Average Weight	50.0 kg	1.0 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.

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

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.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.