Emu's are wonderful animals! There are 750,000 of them on Earth and are the second largest birds. They are also quite fast, reaching speeds of 50 km/h when running. Yet, they cannot fly, reaching speeds of 0 km/h when flying. There are many factors that contribute to this inability (listed below).
Weight
The emu's average weight is 36 - 40kg. This is quite heavy and the emu needs a lot of power to be able to get off the ground. Once off the ground, the emu needs to be able to maintain its height and remain flying. The current heaviest flying bird is the Kori Bustard, with half the weight of an emu (19kg). With this extreme amount of weight it is close to impossible for this elegant bird to fly!
Wingspan
The emu's wingspan is 17.75cm - a very minute wingspan! With the incredible amount of weight mentioned above, along with the tiny wingspan an emu carries, it is impossible for it to fly! The smallest wingspan of a bird is that of a hummingbird, having a 12cm wingspan. Although it has such a small wingspan, the weight to wingspan ratio is far less than that of an emu.
The emu's average weight is 36 - 40kg. This is quite heavy and the emu needs a lot of power to be able to get off the ground. Once off the ground, the emu needs to be able to maintain its height and remain flying. The current heaviest flying bird is the Kori Bustard, with half the weight of an emu (19kg). With this extreme amount of weight it is close to impossible for this elegant bird to fly!
Wingspan
The emu's wingspan is 17.75cm - a very minute wingspan! With the incredible amount of weight mentioned above, along with the tiny wingspan an emu carries, it is impossible for it to fly! The smallest wingspan of a bird is that of a hummingbird, having a 12cm wingspan. Although it has such a small wingspan, the weight to wingspan ratio is far less than that of an emu.