The ostrich is a large, flightless bird that is easily recognizable by its long legs, long neck, and black and white plumage. Ostriches are the largest living birds, standing up to 9 feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds. With their distinctive appearance, ostriches don’t closely resemble any other bird species. However, there are a few other birds that have some similarities in size, shape, coloration, or lifestyle to the ostrich that may be mistaken for them at first glance. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the birds that bear a resemblance to ostriches.
Cassowary
One of the birds most often compared to the ostrich is the cassowary. Cassowaries are large, flightless birds that live in the tropical forests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. There are three species of cassowary – the southern cassowary, northern cassowary, and dwarf cassowary. Of these, the southern cassowary is the largest and most similar to the ostrich in appearance.
Like ostriches, cassowaries have long powerful legs with three-toed feet, a long neck, shaggy black feathers, and a casque or crown on top of their head. Adult southern cassowaries stand 5-6 feet tall and weigh up to 160 pounds, making them the second largest living bird after the ostrich. Their brownish black feathers help camouflage them in the rainforests where they live.
Cassowaries differ from ostriches in a few key ways. Their bodies are more rounded compared to the barrel-shaped ostrich. The cassowary’s neck and head is smaller and more proportional to their body size. Cassowaries’ legs are thicker relative to their body size. Ostriches have long, thin legs optimized for running over open plains. Cassowaries have shorter but more muscular legs adapted to pushing through dense rainforest vegetation. Finally, cassowaries have three-toed feet and ostriches only have two.
Emu
Emus are another large, flightless bird from Australia that looks somewhat like the ostrich. Emus belong to the same order (Struthioniformes) as ostriches, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis. There are some noticeable similarities in the appearance of emus and ostriches.
Like ostriches, emus are tall birds with long legs, long necks, and mostly brownish-black plumage. Adult emus range from 5 to 6 feet in height and weigh 90-120 pounds on average. Their long, dark brown feathers act as camouflage in the open woodlands and grasslands of Australia. Emus have lightly feathered necks that can appear nearly naked from a distance.
When walking, emus hold their necks up in an S-shape similar to ostriches. Both species use their wings for balance like rudders when running. The emu has a soft gray head and eyes ringed with blue skin, giving them a somewhat different facial appearance than ostriches. Emus also have three-toed feet, while ostriches only have two toes. Overall, emus match the general size and proportions of ostriches, but differ in colors and feathering.
Greater Rhea
The greater rhea is a large, flightless bird native to South America that fills an ecological niche similar to the ostrich. Rheas belong to the same order as ostriches and emus. They stand about 4-5 feet tall and can weigh over 50 pounds. Greater rheas match the overall body shape of ostriches with a long neck and legs and a rounded body covered in shaggy gray or brown feathers.
However, greater rheas only have three toes on each foot compared to the ostrich’s two toes. They also have smaller eyes and heads relative to their body size. Rheas’ wings are rounded at the ends while ostriches have wings with long, pointed feathers. The feathers of greater rheas are more evenly distributed over their body compared to ostriches who have very visible bare parts on their necks and legs. Overall, the greater rhea shares similarities with ostriches in terms of ecological niche and body shape, but differs in colors, feather distribution and foot morphology.
Somali Ostrich
The Somali ostrich is a subspecies of ostrich native to the Horn of Africa. It is smaller and more grayish in color compared to the common ostrich. Adult Somali ostriches reach heights of 6-7 feet and weigh up to 265 pounds. The male’s neck and thighs are gray to bluish-gray, while the female and juveniles are more sandy brown.
In body shape, size and lifestyle, the Somali ostrich very closely matches the common ostrich. It has the same long legs, long neck, rounded body shape, and two-toed feet adapted for running across open savanna habitats. The key difference is the Somali ostrich’s coloration. Their darker grayish feathers help provide camouflage in the volcanic soils of their Somali homeland. When seen side-by-side, the Somali ostrich looks like a small, gray version of its larger, more widespread cousin.
Lesser Rhea
The lesser rhea is another large, flightless bird from South America that resembles the ostrich in some ways. Adult lesser rheas reach about 3 feet tall and weigh between 20-40 pounds. They are quite a bit smaller than ostriches, but match their general body proportions with a long neck and legs and rounded body.
Lesser rheas are covered in grayish brown feathers. Their underside feathers are whitish in color. The lesser rhea’s head is small with fleshy papillae around the eyes. Compared to the ostrich’s long bare neck, the lesser rhea has a fully feathered neck. Like other rheas, the lesser rhea has three toes, while ostriches only have two. Overall, the lesser rhea looks like a miniature version of an ostrich in terms of body shape and lifestyle, but is much smaller in size.
Erect-crested Penguin
The erect-crested penguin is a penguin species native to New Zealand that has a somewhat ostrich-like appearance when seen on land. With blackish-gray plumage and bright yellow eyebrows and crest feathers, they look like a compact, aquatic version of an ostrich from a distance.
Erect-crested penguins stand about 25 inches tall, smaller than an ostrich but large for a penguin. Like ostriches, they have an upright, upright posture when standing. Their wings are short, rigid flippers that cannot be used for flight. They have strong legs set far back on their body to aid in swimming. Unlike the ostrich’s long bare neck, erect-crested penguins have thick necks covered in feathers. Overall, the erect-crested penguin matches the ostrich in color pattern, upright posture, rigid wings and strong legs. But its compact size, aquatic lifestyle and feathered neck distinguish it as a penguin species.
Secretary Bird
The secretary bird is an unusual raptor native to Africa that has some superficial resemblances to an ostrich when seen standing on the ground. Secretary birds have very long legs that give them a tall, upright posture reminiscent of an ostrich. They have gray plumage on their bodies and long dark feathers projecting from the back of their heads that resemble an ostrich’s tail feathers.
However, secretary birds differ from ostriches in some key ways. They are much smaller, only reaching about 4 feet tall. Secretary birds have wings adapted for flight that they use for aerial hunting. They lack the bulk of ostriches and have smaller heads on a long, thin neck. The secretary bird’s legs are covered in feathers unlike the ostrich’s bare legs. While they may resemble ostriches from a distance when walking, secretary birds differ in size, proportions, feathering, and ecological niche.
Takahe
The takahe is a large, flightless bird endemic to New Zealand that bears a superficial resemblance to ostriches due to its size, colors, and upright posture. Takahes are stocky birds that stand about 25 inches tall and weigh on average 7.7 pounds. They have metallic blue-green feathering on their back, wings, and belly contrasting with a red frontal shield on the beak and red legs.
In their upright posture, long legs, and bold color pattern they can appear somewhat ostrich-like. However, takahes are much smaller with stouter, shorter legs and a heavier body. They have full wing feathers unlike ostriches. Takahes also have colorful red and blue facial skin and beaks very different from the ostrich’s gray head. While the takahe fills a similar ecological niche in New Zealand to the ostrich, its smaller size, colors, and proportions distinguish it as a unique bird.
Conclusion
While no other living bird perfectly matches the distinctive appearance of the ostrich, there are a few birds that come close in particular aspects. The cassowary most closely approaches the large size and body shape of ostriches. Emus match the general proportions of ostriches but differ in coloration. Rheas occupy a similar ecological niche in South America but are smaller with different plumage. Somali ostriches come very close in appearance, but are smaller with darker gray feathering. Penguins, secretary birds, and takahes may resemble ostriches in posture or colors, but differ significantly in size, proportions, habitat, and lifestyle. Ultimately, the ostrich remains a uniquely adapted, easily recognized bird with no lookalike species filling the same role across the globe. Other flightless birds like rheas, cassowaries, and emus come closest, but are still distinctly different from their ostrich cousins.