Fun Facts!

Beware when you picnic in Australia! Emus are well known for approaching small groups of humans in the wild when prompted by food, and if the food is not offered to them, they will often help themselves.

Respect for the big bird: as with the eagle and raven in Native American cultures, the Emu holds places of honor among aboriginal tribal customs of Australia.
 

Emu

Dromaius novaehollandiae

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Emus have soft feathers that are brown to grayish-brown with a brown body. Emu eyes are golden brown to black, and the skin on its rather long neck is a bluish-black. It is the second largest bird in the world (after the ostrich), often reaching six feet in height. Long, strong legs and large webbed feet enable the bird to scoot over land at speeds up to 30 mph. An emu can weigh as much as 80 lbs.

HABITAT

Native of Tasmania where it has become extinct, the Emu migrated to Australia where it ranges in the eastern part of the country.

DIET IN THE WILD

In addition to grasses and a wide variety of seasonal plants, emus eat grasshoppers, ladybugs, crickets and caterpillars.

BEHAVIOR

One of the few flightless species of birds, the emu avoids inhabited areas, dense forest and dry land. Their calls are a grunting, booming, drumming sound that can be heard a mile away! While the female lays 12-20 eggs, the male is in charge of the nest even before all the eggs are laid. From this time on, he does not eat, drink or poop, and stands only to turn the eggs, which he does about 10 times a day. Over the eight weeks it takes for the eggs to hatch, he will lose a third of his weight and will survive only on stored body-fat and on any morning dew that he can reach from the nest.

STATUS IN THE WILD CONSERVATION EFFORTS:

Threatened because of human intervention. Some areas of Australia list the emu as endangered, but they are well cared-for in zoos.

LIFE SPAN

Average life span in the wild is 10-20 years, and lives longer in captivity