What is the difference between an emu and a rhea

Serge Elia :. The two animals share many physical characteristics, such as broad eyes; an elongated, featherless neck; long, strong legs that burst into explosive speeds when on the run; long, dagger-like claws at the end of their feet which they use vigorously to defend themselves ; underdeveloped breast muscles; retrogressed flight feathers; and prominent wings that are used not for flight, but for courtship.

But the two birds also have differences in terms of size, ecology, and behavior. Although emus are the largest birds in Australia weighing around 80 to 90 pounds apiece , they're considered pretty small when compared to a fully grown ostrich, which is the largest bird on Earth they're about three times the size of an emu, weighing around to pounds. While emus are mostly omnivores, feeding on plants as well as invertebrates like spiders and scorpions, ostriches tend to develop a strictly herbivorous diet though they may eat insects.

Both are quite easy to recognize. The cassowary has a bright blue neck and a casque on the head. It is called the "most dangerous bird in the world" because of its dagger-like claw. Records even show at least two human deaths were caused by the bird. The kiwi, on the other hand, is much more harmless. The bird is just about the size of a chicken with wings so small that they are almost invisible. One fun fact is, the small bird lays big eggs. It is endemic to New Zealand and has become the country's symbol.

If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature cgtn. Home China World World Europe. World Europe. Animal , Oct The fastest bird on land. Exceptionally large ostriches can weigh as much as pounds.

After two or four years, a mature ostrich male could stand at 6 feet to 9 feet tall and the female could be range from 5 to 6 feet in height. On the other hand, a large Emus could reach a height of 4.

Female Emus are slightly larger than male Emus, and they are significantly wider at the rump. Ostriches are native to Africa, and they are found mainly in the wild where they inhabit the arid and semi-arid regions like the Savannah and Sahel habitats where they are distributed across the northern and southern zones of the equatorial forest.

The ostriches inhabiting the Horn of Africa are known as the Somali ostriches, and they have evolved in isolation from other common ostriches. Even in some regions where the common ostriches like the Masai subspecies have existed alongside the Somali ostriches, ecological and behavioral differences have kept them from interbreeding.

In Arabia and Asia Minor, where Arabian ostriches existed, they were hunted to extinction, particularly in the 20th century.

On the other hand, the Emus are native to Australia, and in the past, they were so abundant in the east coast of Australia. The increasing agricultural development in the interior part of Australia has pushed the Emus to the arid areas in the country. The Emus inhabit different habitats across the country, and they are most common in regions of savanna and sclerophyll forests, while they are least common in arid regions and highly populated areas receiving less than 24 inches of rainfall.

During winter ostriches spend their time in pairs, but during the breeding season or in periods of heavy rains ostriches lead a nomadic life in groups of between five and birds while they are being led by a top hen and they often travel with other grazing animals like antelopes or zebras. They are diurnal, but they could be active at night, especially on moonlit nights.

Ostriches are typically active early in the morning and late in the evenings.