Emu vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Dromaius novaehollandiae comparé à Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Emu | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Dromaius novaehollandiae | Archilochus colubris |
| Ordre | Casuariiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Dromaiidae | Trochilidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 175,0 cm (68.9 in) | 8,5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Envergure | 20,0 cm (7.9 in) | 11,0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Poids | 45000,0 g (1587.33 oz) | 3,1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Plants, seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects. Swallows large stones and charcoal to grind food in … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Taille de la couvée | 5-24 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Emu
Open grasslands, savanna woodlands, scrublands, and semi-arid plains across Australia. Avoids dense forest and true desert.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
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.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Emu
Throughout mainland Australia. Absent from Tasmania, where the Tasmanian emu was driven to extinction by 1850.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Statut de conservation
Emu
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
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.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.