Australia’s largest native bird is also its most popular. Emu is a bit of a symbol for Australians – together with kangaroos it’s on Australian passports and government logos, on wine bottles and beer cans. And it deserves it all – it is one of the most impressive Australian birds, and it is found nowhere else in the world but in Australia. Here are some emu pictures, and information about how emu sounds, what do emus eat, what color are emu eggs, what do emu chicks look like, and what is emu bush habitat.
Australian Emu Evolution - Emus and Ostriches Emus belong to a group of flightless birds called ratites, which evolved on Gondwana continent and are not found in Northern Hemisphere. Not all flightless birds are ratites. What distinguishes ratites from others is their lack of keel on their sternum, that’s why their name comes from Latin (ratis) for raft. This is also why they are flightless – they would not have anywhere to attach their wing muscles, even if they were to develop wings suitable for flying. Many species of large ratites such as New Zealand’s moa (Dinornis) (3.3m, 250kg) and Madagascar’s elephant bird (Aepyornis and Mullerornis sp.) (3m, 450kg) are now extinct. The largest living ratite is the African ostrich (Struthio camelus) (2.4m, 160kg). Australia’s emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second largest, it’s up to 2m high and weighs up to 60kg. Other, smaller living ratites are Australia’s cassowary (Casuarius sp.), two species of rhea (Rhea pennata and Rhea Americana) in South America, and five species of kiwi (Apteryx sp.) in New Zealand.
Australian Emu Facts Emu is a large bird with a grey-brown plumage, small rudimentary wings, long bluish neck and strong long legs with three toes each. It is found everywhere Australia except in Tasmania and waterless areas in inland Western Australia. It lives in various habitats from semiarid plains to heathland, coastal dunes and tropical woodland. It is not found in tropical rainforests, the only place where Australia’s other ratite, cassowary, lives.
Australian Emu Bush Habitat It is a nomadic bird and follows rains. Nobody really knows how they find the areas where isolated storms have fallen, but it is thought that they can sense thunder or lightening from great distances. They are usually seen walking around in the bush and foraging, but they can run up to 50km/h, and they move over large distances – one had moved 540km in nine months. They can also swim, and occasionally visit ocean beaches. Unlike kangaroos which are active at dusk and dawn, emus are getting around all day long.
What Does Australian Emu Bird Eat? It may be solitary or live in family groups or large flocks. It is omnivorous and eats seeds, fruits, shoots and large insects.
Emu Sounds Male and female emus sound differently. While female makes a drumming sound, males sound grunting. In fact, this is one of the best ways to find out their sex, as males and females look very similar.
Emu Hatching Eggs - What Color Are Emu Eggs? It breeds during cooler months of the year from June to August. Female lays 5-11 dark green eggs, and (as in all ratites), takes off. Male incubates the eggs and raises the young. Emu chicks are brown-and-white striped, can walk in 24 hours after hatching and will follow the male for the first five months of their life.
Curious Emu Birds Emu is a curious bird - Aboriginal people used to lure them to spearing range by waving things in the air and remaining quiet. And they are not shy, particularly in areas where they have been fed. It will approach a camp ground or picnic table but no matter how exciting it is to have a two-metres bird approaching you, feeding is not good for any wild birds or animals - they are not adapted to human food which makes them sick and causes unnatural population increase which leads to starving and makes them becoming pests.
Places to See Australian Emu Bird Good places to see emu birds are Mutawintji National Park and Warrumbungle National Park in New South Wales, and Innes National Park in South Australia, although in the outback it’s easy to see them everywhere.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
