Emu vs Eurasian Wren
Dromaius novaehollandiae compared with Troglodytes troglodytes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Emu | Eurasian Wren |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dromaius novaehollandiae | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Order | Casuariiformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Dromaiidae | Troglodytidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 45000.0 g (1587.33 oz) | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) |
| Diet | Plants, seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects. Swallows large stones and charcoal to grind food in … | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. |
| Clutch Size | 5-24 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Emu
Open grasslands, savanna woodlands, scrublands, and semi-arid plains across Australia. Avoids dense forest and true desert.
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Emu
Throughout mainland Australia. Absent from Tasmania, where the Tasmanian emu was driven to extinction by 1850.
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Conservation Status
Emu
Eurasian Wren
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
About These Birds
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.
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.