The main difference between emu and ostrich is that emu is shorter in size than an ostrich. Emu is almost 25% shorter than the ostrich.
Comparison Chart
| Basis | Emu | Ostrich |
| Definition | Emu is the second largest bird that is native to Australia. It resembles ostrich | Ostrich is a flightless African bird that is the largest bird in the world. |
| Toes | Three | Two |
| Incubation Period | 54 days | 42 days |
| Egg Weight | 550 grams | 1.2 kg |
| Life Span | 10 to 20 years | 40 to 50 years |
| Order | Casuariiformes | Struthioniformes |
| Family | Dromaiidae | Struthionidae |
| Genus | Dromaius | Struthio |
| Species | D. novaehollandiae | S. camelus |
| Binomial Name | Dromaius Novaehollandiae | Struthio Camelus |
What is Emu?
Emu belongs to the species of D. novaehollandiae that is the second largest bird species on the earth. Being the native of Australia, it is entirely is distinguished from ostrich for many reasons. First of all, it has dark brown features and secondly it is smaller in size than ostrich. It is difficult to make the distinction between male and female emu before mating seasons. However, during the mating season, the black feathers started to grow on the head of the female emu.
Besides, a fix of naked skin on faces of male and female also turns blue amid mating season. Emus match up after mating and male, and female live with each other up to five months till the eggs are laid by the female emu. The male emu takes care of the eggs and incubates them by setting them and turning them over. This procedure goes on for very nearly fifty-six days amid which male emus are not permitted to leave the place, and neither it eats or drinks.
This is the first run through male emus can live for very nearly two months without drinking and eating. When contrasted with the ostrich, they have more grounded legs with three toes. An ordinary emu can live from ten to twenty years can have an average weight of fifty to sixty kilograms.
What is Ostrich?
Ostrich is the largest bird species in the world and is native to Africa. It is the only living members from the genus Struthio that is in the ratite family. An ostrich has powerful legs with two toes and can run at a maximum speed of forty miles per hour. A kick of healthy ostrich can also kill a grown man. Its diet consists mainly of plant matter though it also eats invertebrates. It usually weighs from 120 to 160 kilograms or as much as two adult humans.
The feathers of adult males are mostly black with white primaries and a whitetail. As it belongs to the camelus species that suggests it was once known as camel bird because of its long neck, prominent eyes, and sweeping eyelashes as well as its jolting walk. It also shares some characteristics with camel-like tolerating high temperature and living without water for up to two weeks. It can live for forty to fifty years. It is omnivorous. The male ostrich is black and white in color while the female is gray-brown. Ostrich can run up to forty-two miles per hour and its races with riders on its back are still popular.
Key Differences between Emu and Ostrich
- Ostrich is the biggest bird in the world while emu is the second biggest bird in the world.
- Emu is native to Australia while ostrich is native to Africa.
- Emu female and male have deep brown feathers while ostrich males have black and while features while females have brown feathers.
- Emu can run at a speed of 30mph while ostrich can run at a speed of
- Ostrich is farmed for its feather, meat, and leather while emu is farmed for its oil, meat, and leather.
- Emu sexually matures between three and five years of age while ostrich sexually matures between two and three years of age.
- A fully-grown emu is about 1.6 meters tall where an ostrich is about 2.5 meters tall.
- A fully-grown emu can weigh between 50 and 60kg while ostrich can weigh between 120 and 160kg.
- The incubation period of an emu chick is 54 days that is 42 days in the cast of the ostrich.
- The average weight of an emu egg is 550 grams whereas the average weight of an ostrich egg is 1.2 kg.
- Emu lays more eggs as compared to an ostrich; these can range from 20 and 30 per breeding season as compared to the 10 and 16 eggs of an ostrich.
- In both, female lay down eggs, but in the case of emu, male incubates them while in the event of ostrich, the female incubates them.
- On egg of emu is equivalent to ten eggs of chicken while one egg of the ostrich is equivalent to twenty-four eggs of chicken.
- The egg color of the emu is green whereas the ostrich egg is of light beige color.
- Emu cab cover between 1.5 to 2.5 meters with a single stride while an ostrich can cover between 3 to 5 meters with a single stride.
- Ostrich can stay without water for almost two weeks while emu requires ten liters daily.
- Emu can survive ten to twenty years while ostrich can survive forty to fifty years.
- Baby ostriches don’t have a very high survival rate as compared to the emu babies.
- Emu is much stronger than an ostrich, and an adult emu can kill a grown man.
- Ostrich has large sized eyes as compared to the emu’s eyes.
- Ostrich occasionally eats insects, and locust is its favorite food. Emu frequently eats insects and arthropods.