Not many people would confuse an ostrich for an emu or vice versa. But since they are both large birds and tend to have a similar structure, it is better to know the actual differences. There is a world of difference between ostrich and emu as we would explore here.
Emu is a native of Australia.
Ostrich is a native of Africa. Emu is the largest bird found in Australia but the second largest bird in the world. Ostrich is the largest bird in Africa and in the world in terms of height. Male and female emus are hard to differentiate because they both have deep brown feathers. The female emu tends to grow black colored feathers during the mating season. These feathers appear on their head and the skin turns bluish. Male ostriches have blackish feathers and there are white feathers on the tails and wings. Female ostriches have grayish and brownish feathers.
The emu has strong enough feet to kill a grown man.
Emus have strong legs, three toes and they are capable of running at a maximum speed of thirty miles per hour. Ostrich too has strong legs but only two toes. They can achieve maximum speeds of forty miles per hour. The ostrich has large eyes, especially when you consider the size of their head. Of all the vertebrates living on land, ostriches have the largest eyes. Both emu and ostrich are farmed today. Emu is farmed for leather, oil and meat. Ostrich is farmed for its soft feathers, leather and meat.
Emus have a distinct mating season.
It lasts for around five months. The hens lay the eggs and then the male emus take care of them. The male emus incubate the eggs and the chicks stay with the males for around six months. Emu chicks in the wild usually stay in the area where they are born for two years or so and then they move out to explore.
Ostrich has a different approach to breeding.
One male would typically take six or seven females during the mating season. The female ostriches would lay the eggs, usually in the same nest. Both males and females would incubate the eggs and build a camouflage for the nest. Males are the defender of the hatchlings and also teach them how to eat. Baby ostriches don’t have a very high survival rate because of too many predators.
