What is the physical difference between an emu and a rhea?

[tatertop]

I know some things about them:
Rheas are grumpier than emus.
Emus lay beautiful green eggs and seem to grow larger
than rheas but physically they look the same to me.
Emus can get nice blue fur on their neck, I am sure about rheas.

But there must be physical differences that would allow me to distinguish them. What are they?

[HeeBGBz]

1. Yeah, thanks for that. n/t

[pitohui]

2. different birds from different continents

rheas are from south america, emus from australia, they are all ratites like ostriches but they are definitely different species and physically different to my eyes



that's a greater rhea

and this below is an emu



to me an emu looks like a grass hut frankly

[tatertop]

3. The ratites I observed looked like something in between those pictures

There must be a list of defining differences.
You know like this: the ostrich has two toes, emus and rheas have three, easy.

[tatertop]

4. that is one fine phot of an emu

thank you

[BrotherBuzz]

5. Rheas are grumpier?

I encountered a herd of Rheas that were downright vicious!

[tatertop]

6. Wild rheas?

I have played with hand raised emus -
they are gentle and fun as heck.

[BrotherBuzz]

8. Yes, wild. Their limited human contact only involved feeding

They were rescued by my buddy and local veterinarian who now runs them in a huge corral. They are to old and mean to be domesticated. Vicious birds!

[pitohui]

7. this appears to be a matter of some lively dispute

at global wildlife center in robert, louisiana i was told that rheas are far better-tempered and easier to manage than emus but a quick read around the internet suggests that other people find rhea to be the more bad-tempered bird

at robert they have a good-sized active breeding colony there, with lots of acreage for free roaming

but they no longer bother w. emus or at least didn't at my last visit because of the emu's personality issues

[BrotherBuzz]

10. LOL, I never encountered an emu...

all I know is all the rheas I've met have been vicious birds!

[alfredo]

9. EMUS have double-plumed feathers.

[tatertop]

11. Oboy, that is soft

[alfredo]

12. I met a woman who worked with Emus. She said they are very

friendly with her. She was a bird expert at Kentucky Down Under.
http://www.kdu.com/

[Bigmack]

13. I like a nice....

...Shiraz with emu, and a full-bodied Cabernet with rhea.