Anna's Hummingbird vs Emu
Calypte anna compared with Dromaius novaehollandiae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Emu |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Dromaius novaehollandiae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Casuariiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Dromaiidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 45000.0 g (1587.33 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Plants, seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects. Swallows large stones and charcoal to grind food in … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 5-24 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Anna's Hummingbird
Chaparral, coastal sage scrub, gardens, parks, and open woodland along the Pacific coast. One of few hummingbirds not fully migratory.
Emu
Open grasslands, savanna woodlands, scrublands, and semi-arid plains across Australia. Avoids dense forest and true desert.
Song & Call Comparison
Anna's Hummingbird
Male produces a complex, scratchy song with buzzy 'dzzzzt' notes. Gives a nasal 'chee-chee-chee'. Males sing year-round, even in winter; one of few hummingbirds with true song.
Emu
Deep, resonant booming grunt 'e-moo', often repeated 3 times. Females give a deep drumming call produced by an inflatable throat pouch. Generally low-pitched and far-carrying.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Emu
Throughout mainland Australia. Absent from Tasmania, where the Tasmanian emu was driven to extinction by 1850.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Emu
How to Tell Them Apart
Anna's Hummingbird
Metallic bronze-green upperparts. Males have an iridescent rose-red crown and gorget. Females have green upperparts with grey underparts and a small red gorget patch.
Medium-length, straight, thin black bill
Emu
Shaggy grey-brown plumage with double-shafted feathers giving a loose, hair-like appearance. Bare blue skin on the face and neck.
Broad, flat, dark grey bill
About These Birds
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's hummingbird is the most common hummingbird along the Pacific coast and one of only three species resident in the United States year-round. Males perform spectacular dive displays, plummeting from 40 meters and pulling up with a loud chirp produced by tail feathers. Their body temperature can drop to near ambient at night to conserve energy.
Emu
The emu is the second-tallest living bird and the largest bird native to Australia. It is the only bird with calf muscles, enabling powerful running at up to 50 km/h. In the famous Emu War of 1932, the Australian military was deployed against crop-raiding emus — and the emus arguably won.