The cassowary vs. ostrich debate will not go away so soon. Cassowary and ostrich are both extensive and unique in many ways. If you are wondering who would win a fight between cassowary and ostrich, you are in the right place at the right time.
While cassowary and ostrich are not birds that fly, they boast muscular, solid legs. Ostrich is known to be taller, bulkier, and faster than the two birds, but cassowary seems to be more equipped when it comes to a fight.
It is easy to notice a Cassowary because they are one of the most significant bird species in the world. An adult Cassowary bird will measure around 180 cm (5 feet 9 inches) in length and about 90 cm (3 feet) in height, with a weight ranging from 40 to 70 kilograms (90-165 lbs).
By comparison, an adult Ostrich will grow up to 6ft 2ins and a height range of 5ft 7ins. The weight here varies as well, going from 66 kgs to 110 kgs or 150 lbs to 245 lbs. according to Britannica.
Cassowary Vs Ostrich
Cassowary Vs Ostrich – size comparison?
The Cassowary is a giant flightless bird that lives in Australia and the rainforests of New Guinea. They are one of the most dangerous birds due to their sharp claws and powerful legs.
They are closely related to emus, and they are thought to be the closest living relative of the ostrich.
The Cassowary is a shy bird that avoids contact with humans, but they will attack if they feel threatened or provoked. A cassowary weighs about 57 kg and can be 6.6 feet tall. Cassowary can run at 30 mph (50 km/hr.). They are excellent swimmers as well.
The Ostriches are giant flightless birds that live in Africa. They are the big birds on the planet. They can grow up to 9 feet tall (2.75 meters), weigh over 300 pounds (150 kg), and run at speeds of up to 43 mph (70 k/hr.).
Ostriches have long necks, powerful legs, and two toes on each foot which act like fingers for grabbing food and other objects.
While ostriches are usually more giant than cassowaries, the size of these beautiful birds may vary among the species.
Cassowary Vs Ostrich
Cassowary Species
Three cassowary species are known, and they include:
- Dwarf Cassowary: Also known as Mountain Cassowary (Mooruk), the dwarf cassowary is about 4 feet in height and 18kg in weight.
- Northern Cassowary: These are the cassowaries found in the rainforest of Northern Guinea. They are about 5 feet tall and weigh about 37 kg. They are single-wattled.
- Southern Cassowary: These are the biggest cassowaries on the planet and are about 6 feet tall. They weigh around 70 kg and occupy swamps or lowland eucalyptus forests. They are double red wattled cassowaries.
Ostrich Species
There are two known species of ostrich, and they are:
- Somali Ostriches: They are about 9 feet tall and 150 kg in weight.
- Common Ostriches: These ostriches are the most common ostriches you can find. They typically weigh 150 kg and are usually about 9 feet tall.
So, the ostrich wins the battle when it comes to size. However, the size may not win you a match always. Techniques and aggressiveness may win you a struggle at times.
Difference Between An Ostrich And A Cassowary
Cassowaries are the second largest bird in the world. Their close relative, the ostrich, only beats them.
The cassowary is a type of flightless bird native to New Guinea and Australia. It has an unusual appearance due to its large size and stiff feathers. It is of the genus Casuarius with a bony crest on its head and can be dangerous.
The cassowary also has a distinctive neck that is covered with satin-like feathers.
Let us get into the comparison in detail.
Difference In Appearance
Cassowaries
Cassowaries are a type of ratite bird, and they are native to Australia and New Guinea. They look just like an over-grown turkey. They have blue bodies with red wattles, are about 6 feet tall, and weigh 70 kg.
A cassowary has three toes with razor-sharp nails of 12 cm. the legs are scaly and muscular. They can jump as high as f feet and run as fast as 50 km/hr. The eyes are regular, and these birds have a deep, roaring voice. Their beak is sharp but with no teeth.
Cassowaries lay 3 to 8 greenish-blue or green eggs of 9 by 14 cm each per clutch. Both male and female cassowaries are similar in appearance, but males usually weigh around 55 kg while females weigh about 80 kg.
Ostrich
Ostrich is referred to as the camel bird because it is tall and has a very long neck resembling a camel. Their color ranges from pink to white, and unlike cassowaries, their head is bare. Their channel, unlike cassowaries, is also essential, but feathers cover the body.
Ostriches are the enormous birds ever at 9 feet tall and 155 kg body weight. Their initial two toes are developed into a hoof-like structure, and they have rounded talons of about 10 cm. They have a beak with sharp teeth.
Their scaly muscular legs can jump as high as 7 feet and run as fast as 75 km/hr. These birds have enormous eyes of 2-inch diameter. The big eyes help them to see far and wide and avoid dangers.
The voice of a female ostrich is not as booming as that of the male. Ostriches lay 12 to 18 yellow-colored eggs of about 13 by 15 cm per clutch. Male ostriches are usually black and taller than the females, typically light brown.
Habitat Difference
Palm scrubs and forest swamps are the habitats of cassowaries. Their nests are usually made of a heap of leaves. On the other hand, ostriches love open arid habitats and live mainly in Africa and Mexico. Ostriches can endure hot weather and survive without water for six days.
Behavior And Organ System Difference
Cassowary Vs Ostrich
Cassowaries
Cassowaries are shy birds that can also be aggressive when provoked. They live alone and only find a mate during the breeding season. These birds are big and eat around 5 kg of fruits per day. They also eat fish, insects, carrion, fungi, and snails.
A cassowary couple lives together for around a month. While the female leaves the area after laying eggs, the male waits for 50 days to incubate and raise them for nine months. The hatchlings follow the male cassowary.
They have no separate urinary tract. Both genders have female and male reproductive organs, but they are not functional.
Ostriches
Ostriches live in a group of 5 but may live in a flock of 5 to 50 during the breeding season. They can also become aggressive if provoked. They eat insects, seeds, leaves, roots, snakes, lizards, and rodents.
Ostriches are polygamous as a male ostrich can have 3 to 5 females with one alpha female. The hatchlings, unlike cassowary, stay with the female. These birds, unlike cassowaries, defecate and urinate.
While the male ostriches have discrete reproductive organs, females only have a cloaca.
Which Is More Dangerous? Cassowary Or Ostrich?
If an ostrich sees you, it is not likely to run away, but a cassowary is expected to run away. Ostriches have been used in sports. However, if you provoke either cassowary or ostrich, it will likely attack you.
And because cassowaries’ toenails are like a dagger that can slice anything, they are deemed more dangerous than ostriches. But do not underrate an ostrich because it can kick a lion to death.
So, who wins a fight between an ostrich and a cassowary? While many people deemed cassowary more advantaged, an ostrich is more likely to win a battle between the two. Though a cassowary is equipped with razor-sharp claws, an ostrich is heavier, bigger, faster, and more powerful.
Though a cassowary’s fighting range is short, an ostrich cannot run smoothly the way a cassowary would do through hurdles.
While ostriches are also powerful, a cassowary will win a fight against an ostrich. Why are they deemed the most dangerous if a cassowary cannot win a battle against an ostrich? Cassowaries are confirmed to have killed two humans.
Emu vs Ostrich vs Cassowary
Emus, ostriches, and cassowaries are all large flightless birds native to Australia. They all have similar appearances, but they are different in several ways.
Emus are the largest of the three species and have a long, heavy head with a big beak. The males have short, powerful legs and thick hairy necks. Emus can be found in many places around the world including Australia, New Guinea, and Papua New Guinea.
Ostrich is much smaller than emus and has a long neck that allows them to reach into tall grasses for food. Their legs are thin and weak compared with those of their relatives, but they can run very quickly when threatened or chased by predators such as foxes or hawks. Ostrich lives in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Cassowaries are another large flightless bird native to Australia’s arid interior regions where water is scarce but vegetation is plentiful during certain times of year (for example during wet seasons). The name “cassowary” comes from an Indonesian word meaning “thief” because these birds steal eggs from other animals’ nests
Emu, ostrich, and cassowary are three different animals. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Emus are strong and fast, but they are not very strong. Ostrich is strong, but they can’t run very fast. Cassowary’s strength is its speed. Its weakness is that it is not as fast as emu or ostrich.
cassowary vs lion
The cassowary (Casuarius Casuarius) is a very powerful animal with a long tail. It can kick an elephant in the face and knock it out. The lion is also strong and can kill a big animal like an elephant, but not as fast as the cassowary. The cassowary has more muscles and power than the lion.
In the fight between these two animals, it’s hard to say who will win. Both species are very powerful and fast, so they’d likely use their speed to get close enough to each other to strike with their claws or teeth. But unless one of them was injured, they’d both have an advantage over their opponent because of their size and strength.
If you had to bet on one animal over the other for sheer strength, I’d probably go with the lion because of all its adaptations for hunting down prey. But if you had to pick one animal that could run faster than the other, I’d definitely go with the cassowary because its legs are so much longer than those of most mammals!
Emu Vs Ostrich, How are they different
Cassowary Vs Ostrich
The two main differences between the emu and the ostrich are that the emu has shorter wings, which are not suitable for flight, and a neck covered with feathers. On the other hand, the ostrich has more enormous wings, but they too cannot be used to fly.
The emu and ostrich are both members of the ratite bird order. They have a lot in common, but they are not the same.
The emu is a flightless bird native to New Guinea and Australia. The ostrich is also a flightless bird native to Africa.
The emu is considerably smaller than the ostrich, weighing up to 150 pounds, while the ostrich weighs 300 pounds. The emu has three toes on each foot, while the ostrich has just two toes on each foot.
Difference Between Emu And Ostrich Eggs
If you are looking to differentiate between emu and ostrich eggs, you should not have a problem doing that. Emu eggs have a dark green color and are smaller than ostrich’s, weighing around 1 pound. On the other hand, ostrich eggs are creamy in color and weigh up to 3 pounds.
Conclusion
Cassowary vs. ostrich? Both ostrich and cassowary are flightless birds and most times encounter each other. While cassowary has a dangerous razor-sharp toenail, ostrich is faster and more extensive.
People say cassowary is the most dangerous, and that is verified by the fact that they have killed two humans in the past. So, Cassowary vs. ostrich, who wins? I will say the cassowary will win. What do you think?